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Living With Challenges
 Life is not easy for the people of Eastern Congo, but it is even more difficult for those who are physically handicapped. The craftspeople who work with SHONA face many challenges. Most suffered from polio at a young age, and lost the use of one or both of their legs. They often grew up crawling, unable to stand upright, and so their legs became permanently curled underneath them. As teenagers, many of them underwent intense operations and years of physical therapy at the Handicapped Center in Goma to regain the ability to stand. Still, almost all of them wear heavy metal leg braces which are extremely uncomfortable, but are the only way they can stand. Almost all of them also use crutches or canes.
They are all amazing people, and examples of how far faith and perseverence can carry a person.
Expectations
Handicapped people are often taught to beg in the streets as children. It is assumed that this will be the only way that they can provide for themselves throughout their lives. Our craftspeople have had the good fortune of families that refused to accept this mentality and demanded a better life for their children. They have never begged in the streets, but all of them can tell stories about times when they have been mistaken for beggers. Despite the fact that they have come so far, perceptions are not easy to change.
Education
Many times handicapped children are not sent to school at all, because they are not mobile enough to walk there. If they are sent to school, handicapped girls are often quickly forced to drop out, when money for tuition becomes tight. It is often assumed that educating a non-handicapped boy is a better investment than a handicapped girl. For this reason many handicapped women are poorly educated.
Marriage
Marriage is a central goal for women in Congo, and is often seen as a rite of passage into adulthood. Until a girl is married, she is usually expected to live with her family and be dependent upon them. Yet handicapped women are often seen as unable to marry. In Congo men are expected to pay a bride price before marrying a woman and women continue to be seen as a financial investment. A "good" wife must be able to bear children, keep house, carry water, and cook. It is assumed that a handicapped woman will not be able to fulfill these duties, at least not to the same ability as another woman. This leaves handicapped women in a precarious position of being eternally dependent on their family, and it becomes a heavy burden to bear in an impovershed society.
Transportation
The roads in Goma are not only ill-maintained but are often covered with lava rock. Transportation in Goma relies heavily upon walking and motorcycle taxis. Additionally, most houses are located off of winding alleys and paths, strewn with rocks and garbage. Simply to get to a market requires a fair amount of climbing and manuvering. Likewise, most houses also have shared neighborhood outhouses that are often extremely difficult to reach for a handicapped person. Despite all of this, the SHONA crafspeople will amaze you with their ability to get around. They hoist their heavy metal leg braces around like they weigh nothing. They balance on motorcycle taxis in miraculous ways. They walk miles on crutches. They carry items on their heads, on their backs, and in their hands as they pick their way through the pot-hole filled streets. And sometimes they fall. And they will admit that sometimes people are cruel and laugh, but they will be quick to tell you that many people are kind and offer a hand. Either way, they get up with an amazing amount of grace and keep going. Truly these have to be some of the most unstopable people.
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