On 16 July 2013 members of the EUFOR LOT house in BRCKO organized the donation of 5 Zimmer frames to the local Red Cross office to help people with temporary and permanent mobility issues.
In a small ceremony, and in the presence of local media, in front of the Red Cross office in the BRCKO District, members of the EUFOR LOT House handed over 5 walking frames or “Zimmer” frames to the Red Cross Office Manager Denis ŠEHANOVIĆ.
For people with mobility problems, a Zimmer frame can mean the difference between being stuck at home and enjoying an independent life. The donation was made possible thanks to the initiative of Lieutenant Sebastian ECKLER, who managed to organize the frames and transport them from Austria to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Lt ECKLER was able to acquire these walking aids from CARITAS Austria and, having served in EUFOR LOT House in BRCKO since August 2012, knew that they would be much needed in the local community.
Lt ECKLER’s father, who has also previously worked with EUFOR in LOT BRCKO, helped him to obtain the Zimmer frames and brought them to BRCKO from Austria. Lt ECKLER decided that handing the frames over to the Red Cross would ensure the best use of them due to their excellent history of supporting vulnerable people.
The system the Red Cross uses is to hand out the equipment on long-term loan for as long as they are needed and then pass them on to somebody else when they become available again. By providing long-term loans of essential equipment the Red Cross are able to help dozens of vulnerable people every year.
This important initiative will prove vital for those it helps, whether they have a temporary or a permanent disability or illness, and will help provide a dignified standard of living. The entire team at the EUFOR LOT BRCKO assisted with the project and are very pleased to have brought it to this happy and successful conclusion.
