Imagine losing a leg and no longer being able to walk. Years later, that chance to stand tall and move freely returns without having to spend an exorbitant sum on a new prosthetic limb.
This is the reality for hundreds of citizens who were gifted artificial limbs through the Jaipur Foot Fitment Camp currently taking place at the Divali Nagar site in Chaguanas.
The camp is more than just a medical initiative – it is a new lease on life for the over 800 beneficiaries who are expected to receive these artificial limbs.
TTT News visited the camp on Wednesday and discovered that behind every new step is a story of hope, resilience, and faith, as recipients waited up to five hours to be fitted with a prosthetic that will change the rest of their lives.
For 75-year-old Frankie Roopchand, his dream of walking through his yard once more became a reality after receiving his artificial limb from the Jaipur Foot Fitment Camp.
“I cannot done thank God. Thank God, the Almighty. I good, I am not sick, I don’t go to the clinic, I don’t go doctor. Last time I saw a doctor was 2017, since that I went back yesterday to get a medical. But I thank the Lord for health and strength.”
Another recipient, 39-year-old Rehanna Hosein, a mother of two who lost her leg in 2023, told TTT News that she is looking forward to the simplest moments.
“I would like to go to the grocery and market and stuff with the boys, like you know, these kinds of things, little outings, going to the zoo, all those things.”
Living with diabetes and the loss of sight in one eye has not been easy, but Rehanna says she is ready for her new chapter.
“It has been challenging, yes, but I’m learning to overcome what’s been going on. Other than losing my leg, I lost sight in one eye but that is a different story, but I’m very excited. I’m overjoyed, my kids are happy for me. I’m getting to move around with them more, I will be moving around a little more now with them.”
For her, the prosthetic limb is more than a gift – it is a second chance.
“I am overjoyed, I am happy to know that I’m getting this leg, this opportunity. In a sense, it’s like a second chance. It’s a lot to take in.”
Another citizen, 64-year-old Michael Tobal, lost his leg in 2021 and with it much of his independence. Today, he is taking back that freedom.
His daughter, Jeanille Fermin, said watching him struggle over the years was heartbreaking.
“When he lost his foot he was sad, always crying. Sometimes he happy, then you have the sad moments when he would just break down and he would just be watching his foot and he would tell all his friends, ‘Oh God my foot, my foot, if I didn’t lose my foot I could have been doing so much things,’ because he has a little parlour. But the thing is that he didn’t have the money to buy it, you understand, because without this, you have to spend real money to get the foot.”
For 10 years, 33-year-old Ricardo Barclay lived with one leg. The moment he stood on two feet again was life-changing.
“I can walk with two legs, not one. I feel great, I feel like myself again, you understand? Standing up and sipping a beer with your friends and them.”
But Ricardo admits there were times when the pain felt too heavy to bear.
“I was feeling lost with myself, I was telling the magistrate I felt like taking an evaluation because I was fed up with myself, living. And now I feel real good right now because I got my new leg.”
TTT News also spoke with Pramod Verma, Administrative Officer of Shree Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayat Samiti, the parent body of Jaipur Foot. He said this is why his team of nine travelled from India: to see lives transformed in real time.
“We are very glad to be here and the kind of reception we got from here from the people is so amazing. When we give the limb to the patients, after getting the limb, the smile of the patient it’s so priceless you will forget each and everything else, so I think that’s the reason why we are here.”
With 37 branches across India and over 118 camps in 45 countries, he said Jaipur Foot has fitted more than 2.5 million beneficiaries worldwide.
“Our technology is very frugal and rapid. When the patient comes in the morning, we take his measurement, his casting, then we almost give him a prosthetic around four to five hours on the same day.”
From heartbreak to hope, for many, these artificial limbs mean more than mobility. They mean dignity, independence, and the simple joy of walking again.