HOW (HELP ONE WALK) INTERNATIONAL IS A MOVEMENT THAT WAS STARTED BY TWO FRIENDS, JOHN MULLEN AND DOUGLAS BOWMAN.
While doing research on landmines in Mozambique for their book, they stumbled upon a story about a 16 year old single mother, Florencia.
While out collecting firewood in her home country of Mozambique, Florencia stepped on a landmine. She lost her right leg below the knee and badly burned the left side of her body. This tragedy happened two years ago and she has been using crutches ever since. John and Douglas were deeply moved by Florencia’s plight, and were concerned that her story would be left in the archives of internet writings, and that she would be forgotten – forever.
MOST MOZAMBIQUE AMPUTEES CANNOT AFFORD ONE PROSTHETIC IN THEIR LIFETIME, NEVER MIND THAT MOST PEOPLE NEED A FRESH PROSTHETIC EVERY 5 YEARS.
The need is well known in Mozambique, but the lack of resources is leaving a tragic scar on the nation. Douglas and John decided they could not merely write about Florencia and her 10,000 amputee ‘friends’; they needed to do something about it.
949 Veronica Springs Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
John D. Mullen – jm@howinternational.org
www.howinternational.org
