José Orozco, left, and Ajantham Vettivelu pictured in 2019 with wheelchairs to send abroad.Supplied
The organizer: José Orozco
The pitch: Launching Purinapaq
The reason: To supply wheelchairs to people in Peru and Cuba
José Orozco arrived in Canada from Peru in 1994 as a refugee and a musician. Like many new immigrants, he ended up working in restaurants and as a cleaner while busking occasionally around Toronto. He eventually found a job in construction.
In 1996, he suffered serious injuries after falling off scaffolding. He broke his right leg and had spinal compression. Mr. Orozco spent years recovering and using a wheelchair. The experience gave him an idea of what life was like for people with disabilities, something he never forgot.
Years later, he met Toronto activist Bob Biderman at a music festival, and they began talking about Mr. Biderman’s work with Not Just Tourists, a charity that encourages travellers to take medical supplies to countries such as Cuba. “I would like to help my country, but not with medical supplies. I would like to help with wheelchairs,” Mr. Orozco recalled telling Mr. Biderman.
That led him to launch Purinapaq in 2007, which means “let’s go” in Quechua. With the help of donors, fellow musicians and other volunteers, the charity collects discarded wheelchairs, scooters and walkers and ships them to organizations in Peru and Cuba, which distribute them for free to those in need.
From left: Sebastian Tamayo, Niurvis Caballero, Juana Guerra, and Mr. Orozco in 2023 in Cuba. Ms. Caballero received power and manual wheelchairs to help her travel to school.Supplied
So far, Purinapaq has sent nearly 40 containers, each holding up to 350 chairs. Mr. Orozco has also set up workshops in Peru and Cuba where the chairs can be repaired and maintained. Because of widespread blackouts in Cuba, he has begun sending small solar panels for people using power wheelchairs.
While most of the chairs are donated, Mr. Orozco relies on financial contributions to cover the cost of shipping, which is around US$5,000 for a container. He’s currently seeking help to send three fully loaded containers.
Mr. Orozco, 59, still has difficulty walking for long periods, and he uses a wheelchair on occasion. He spends most of his time on the charity and repairing wheelchairs for Spinal Cord Injury Canada, and various veterans’ organizations.
“I feel so glad I’m giving back people life,” he said. “If I had had my accident in my country, I don’t know what my life would be like. But the way I’m returning to my society from Canada, I feel so glad.”