The Shonaquipâs story is not only heart-warming, but incredibly phenomenal and inspirational inspiring people for change and community upliftment. Ghandi once said âbe the change you want to see in the worldâ, and this is one of those cases. Shonaquip was established in 1992 by Shona Mcdonald, Shona and her family encountered challenges not many people could ever consider. Shonaâs daughter was born with Cerebral Palsy, a condition which affects her ability to speak, move and maintain her stability and posture. In South Africa, 10 in 1,000 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy. A mother on a mission, Shona drew on her sculpting background to design a mobility device, which made caring for her daughter safer, easier, and opened new possibilities for fun and learning.
After receiving many questions about the source of the mobility device she had designed and built for her daughter, Shona and just one other employee, launched Shonaquip from her garage. Since then, Shonaquipâs footprint has spread throughout Southern Africa, and has grown into a globally recognized name, supplying products as far as Iraq, Georgia, India, and Uganda. Shonaquip manufactures a range of wheelchairs, and 24 hour posture supports, cushions and therapy equipment, which are appropriate for both children and adults with mobility impairments, enabling them to participate in daily activities like playing, learning, socializing, or resting.
Shonaquip is a 55% black-owned, woman owned social enterprise which supports families of children with disabilities through provision of rural appropriate and locally manufactured modular wheelchairs.
The entity was founded as a âbusiness for goodâ, which is exactly what they are. Shonaquip manufactures and sells their range of Assistive Technology for people with disabilities, investing all profits in delivery of their social development agenda. Shonaquip forms part of a hybrid Social Enterprise, alongside Uhambo Foundation (NPC), and the Champions of Change Trust. Together these three entities share a joint objective to strengthen and grow barrier free ecosystems of support around families ensuring that all children have the right, and ability to be included. They are proving that with the provision of an appropriate assistive device, knowledge to make informed choices and agency to action them, a family of a child with a disability will never need to experience their child as less valued.
For the past 7 years, Shonaquip Social Enterprise (âShonaquipâ) has worked closely with Botswana Ministry of Health & Wellness to raise awareness and assist with training to improve the lives of children with disabilities in Botswana. Following a shift in policy and planning, the Botswana Ministry of Health & Wellness put out a tender for the supply, delivery, and fitting of 250 specialized paediatric posture support wheelchairs (Assistive Technology ). Enterprise and Supplier Development and Loan funding provider, Inyosi Empowerment will be assisting Shonaquip with loan funding in order to fulfil this tender with the Botswana Ministry of Health & Wellness, which will in turn allow Shonaquip the opportunity to enter the Assistive Technology supply and delivery market within the Botswana region.
Shonaquip now employs 74 people; and embraces diversity by providing employment for people with disabilities â evidence of its roots of being a business-for-good and have done so with the help of Inyosi Empowerment.
Inyosi Empowerment is pleased to be able to assist Shonaquip in strengthening an ecosystem which is inclusive, barrier-free, and welcoming for individuals with mobility impairments not only throughout South Africa, but globally â enabling many more full and prosperous lives.
To assist more companies, and in commemoration of a decadeâs worth of loan funding and pushing the envelope for black-owned SMMEs within South Africa, Inyosi Empowerment has launched an exclusive business loan funding competition, whereby one black-owned business could win an interest free loan of up to R5 million. This competition is aimed at celebrating the positive impact loan funding can have on the growth of SMMEâs and how this in turn spurs on job creation and economic growth in South Africa; much like the domino effect, but more specifically the âInyosi domino effect.”
To find out more about Inyosi Empowerment and their exciting business loan funding competition, visit there website here: www.inyosi.co.za/borrowers/competition/
