Teen receives new wheelchair

 A DISABLED youth in Rabaul, East New Britain, has been given a new wheelchair by a group of Japanese tourists visiting the district.

Serry Warku Kaluve, 17, is from Ratung village in the Balanataman local level government in Rabaul. 

He received the wheelchair at the Ratung Elementary School last week witnessed by students, villagers, and officers from the Rabaul district administration and Balanataman LLG.

The 30 Japanese tourists were from the Japanese Mission Bereavement Team.

Acting district administrator Hubert Wangun thanked the team and said the wheelchair would greatly help Kaluve move around the village. 

He used to crawl to get around.

Rabaul district health coordinator Joshua Wowo said Serry was born as a normal child but became disabled because he was not given immunisation injections when he was a baby.

Serry lives with his father at Ratung village. His mother passed away when he was about three years old. 

Serry was given his first wheelchair around the time his mum passed away and has since grown out of it.