Most public areas have disability toilets to accommodate disabled people but some public area still lack toilets which accommodate wheelchair users. In 2011, Portia Mavhungo had a major accident in 2011 which saw her with a broken pelvis saw her spending part of her recovery in a wheelchair in which she experienced firsthand the loss of independence and dignity which comes with it as she needed assistance getting to the toilet.
Although initially depressed, Mavhungo recognized that she was temporarily bound to the wheelchair but she still thought about all the other people who were bound to wheelchairs on a permanent basis. This led her to start thinking of ways to solve the issue resulting in the development of the Para-Tube. Para-Tube is a retrofitted seat that fits in any chair with a built-in toilet using disposable, biodegradable bags giving independence and dignity to its users.
She was raised by the grandmother of an Indian family her mother worked for and follows Tamil-Hindu culture. While her initial desire was to study drama, she now works at Telkom and studied IT through them. Portia faced numerous challenges while developing the Para-Tube including facing doubt in her idea when she first shared it with family members who were not expecting her to start a business. “The device will also be a great help in hospitals. We have a shortage of nurses in South Africa. I realized that when you’re in a hospital, you have to wait for a nurse to lift you and place a steel bedpan underneath you,” says Mavhungo. The Para-Tube is made from off-the-shelf components in order to keep costs down for the end-users.
The Red Bull programme participant struggled to get funding and finding the right business partner but she eventually received funding from TIA for the innovate wheelchair and partnered with Darushna. She has a compassionate and empathetic spirit that sees her wanting to help people and improve their lives. This is exemplified by the birth of Para-Tube and spending her festive holidays with kids at orphanages. On Commemoration Day she was endorsed by the President of South Africa
