This is a featured article in the 2020 Impact Report. Click here to see the full report
It is not easy for people with a mobility impairment to just go to a store, church or a party. Thankfully, Fundashon Alton Paas does understand the challenge. With their Wheelee service, they offer the possibility to go out to wherever the client wants to go.
‘It’s kind of a taxi service, but with a specialized vehicle designed to safely transport people in a wheelchair’, explains Wheelee driver, Shurvently Legito. ‘The clients that I take from A to B, want to do things and attend activities just like everyone else. They already go out a lot less than you or me as it is. They might be in a wheelchair, but they also have family and friends that they want to visit or pursue hobbies and other interests outside of the house.’
Transportation is simply necessary
The 23-year-old Shurvently is one of the drivers of Wheelee project for five years now. ‘I had a cousin who was a driver at the Wit Gele Kruis, so from a young age I realized that people with a disability need transportation to be able to leave the premises. I love to drive cars and enjoy being on the road. That is why I love my job. Working an office job just
isn’t for me’
Feels at home
Shurvently feels completely at home at Fundashon Alton Paas. Besides being a driver, he is also the team’s handyman. ‘I assemble machines as well and do a little bit of everything. It’s all part of my job and I enjoy the diversity.’ Skillfully and safely
Driving safely is extremely important to Shurvently. ‘I’m an excellent driver, because I’m always on the road for work and besides that, my hobby happens to be motorcycling. I love doing tricks on my motorcycle. Now and then people even ask
me to give ‘fever’ demonstrations. You need to be very skillful to do these tricks, which in turn comes in handy for my job as a Wheelee driver. That’s because the clients I pick up for transportation sometimes live in extremely hard to reach places. Neighborhoods where there are no delineated roads, or difficult to reach properties where I need to try to get as close to the house as possible. It’s a challenge every time, but I always manage to do it.’
Good feeling
‘I enjoy driving people around and chatting a bit with them. It’s important for the clients to feel comfortable with me. It also doesn’t matter to me whether it’s late at night, a holiday or whatever. I’m aware that these clients get to leave the house because of the work that I do. That makes me feel good
This is a featured article in the 2020 Impact Report. Click here to see the full report