One Step at a Time: Benon’s Story
One Step at a Time: Benon’s Story
This is the story of a man I met in the rain.
This is the story of a man I met in the rain.
One day, while in the hills of Kisoro, a sudden storm rolled in. Torrential rain triggered a near-landslide, and Edson and I were forced to take shelter until it passed.
When we finally made our way back down the mountain, on a motorbike while the rain was still falling but not as heavy, we passed a man sitting in the mud breaking rocks for payment.
He had no legs.
In the few seconds it took to pass him, I watched him drag himself forward through thick mud just to reach the next rock.
As I lay in bed that night, reflecting on the day, I couldn’t get his image out of my head. So the next day, I asked Edson to take me back.
That man is Benon.
Benon is my age.
Five years ago, his life changed completely after a severe case of cerebral malaria. By the time the doctors realised what was happening with him, it was too late — both of his legs had to be amputated
below the knees. Hearing his story broke my heart and I burst into tears. Within months, everything he knew about life was gone. Now, he moves by walking on his knees.
The ground where he lives is steep, rocky, and often thick with mud. His knees are scarred from constant contact with the earth. But he has no choice. If he doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat. So every day, he pulls himself into the hills and breaks rocks for survival.
A Life on the Edge of Survival
Benon was once given prosthetic legs and crutches, but due to heavy rain and the difficult conditions in the area, they eventually broke.
He tried desperately to hold them together with rope and nails, but to no avail. Without the ability to replace them, his world became smaller again.
And so he returned to the only way he knew how to move around — by dragging himself through the terrain, day after day to earn money. Still working. Still pushing forward. Still providing for the people who depend on him.
I couldn't leave his story there
The Journey for Help
After meeting him, I knew I couldn’t leave his story there. I asked my community for help. And they answered. Almost overnight we had raised more than I needed for new prosthetic legs. They were to be custom-made for his body, could withstand the weather and came with the fitting and rehabilitation he would need to learn to walk again. What followed was a long and difficult journey to Mbarara to meet Dr Wence, the prosthetist responsible for building his new legs. The trip itself was exhausting. It began with a motorbike ride, with Edson carefully riding behind Benon to make sure he didn’t fall. Then came a long wait for the bus to fill, followed by hours on the road. Partway through the journey, the bus broke down. More waiting. More uncertainty. More exhaustion. By the time they arrived, the day had stretched into night. When I asked Edson how Benon was, he said only one word: ”Quiet”
The Making of New Legs
At 7pm that evening, Benon finally met Dr Wence. The process began immediately. Plaster casts were made of his residual limbs — forming negative moulds that captured his exact shape.
These were then used to create positive models, precise replicas that would guide the construction of his prosthetics
From there, a custom socket was designed — the critical component that connects body to prosthetic. The final legs were built around this structure.
Benon’s prosthetics use a self-suspending system. Instead of straps or external supports, the socket itself is shaped to grip securely above the knee, holding the prosthetic in place through structure alone.
- More stability.
- More comfort.
- More independence.
Learning to Walk Again
When Benon first stood with his new legs, everything seemed unfamiliar again. But Benon is a quick learner. Step by step, he began learning how to walk again. After years of moving only on the ground, upright movement returned.
Returning Home
Eventually, Benon began the journey back to his home in the hills. Now, the real work begins — life in his own environment. Mud. Rocks. Steep terrain. Daily survival conditions that cannot be replicated in a clinic. This is where the prosthetics are truly tested. And where Benon is relearning everything — not just how to walk, but how to live differently.
Benon’s story is not a finished one.
A Life Still in Progress
He is still adjusting. Still building strength. Still learning how to move through a world that has not changed — but how he moves through it has. There will be ongoing adaptation. Ongoing support. Ongoing learning. But for the first time in a long time, he is not moving forward on the ground.
With gratitude,
Carly Nzvimbo
Founder & Executive Director of
Ripples of Change Uganda