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Survivor of domestic violence finds new hope with prosthetic hand

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s partnership with The Hand Project restores hope and dignity to amputees in developing nations

By Robin Cowie Nalepa

Associate Director, Communications, Clinical Research 

Gender-based domestic violence left Veronica Kidemi without her right hand. The teacher and mother, from Arusha, Tanzania, was determined to maintain her independence and pursue her dreams despite the tragic and disabling loss of her dominant hand.

Veronica initially struggled with daily tasks, including caring for her two young boys. Over time, she taught herself to use her left hand for everything—writing, eating, and holding her children. Yet, she could do little to change the way others treated her.

“In Africa, there is shame to not have a hand,” said Veronica, 34. “People don’t know how to treat someone with a disability. They could be your friend before, but after you lose a hand, they feel shame even to walk with you.” 

Overcoming this stigma became less challenging with the help of The Hand Project, a charitable non-government organization (NGO) that provides prosthetic hands to those in need across nearly a dozen developing countries in Africa and Asia.

The Hand Project, based in Germany, works with corporations around the world, including Thermo Fisher Scientific through its Community Impact Grants, to restore hope and dignity to thousands of people each year through commitment and teamwork.

By late 2023, Veronica had lived without her hand for three years. She acquired and abandoned a poorly constructed prosthetic in that time, finding it too heavy to carry and too painful to use.

Veronica Kidemi, The Hand Project Ambassador in Tanzania wearing her cosmetic prosthetic hand she received from The Hand Project. (Photo, courtesy of The Hand Project)

Then she learned of The Hand Project. Veronica was initially skeptical that she could be helped given her previous experience with a prosthetic, but a physician friend encouraged her to pursue the opportunity. She traveled many kilometers to a fitting camp held by the organization where she received two new hands, free of charge.

 

The first was a functional device that could be manually manipulated to hold a utensil, a pen, or other useful objects, but does not look like a true human hand. The second, was a static 3D-printed cosmetic hand.

 

Though far simpler than electronic prosthetics common in Western countries, both were light weight and designed to fit easily into a socket worn over her residual limb.

 

“It was a turning point in my life,” she said. “When I got the hand from The Hand Project, I was amazed. This is my dream hand. I put it on all the time.” 

 

Finally, she could use both her upper limbs to complete daily tasks. As importantly, when wearing the cosmetic hand, her physical difference became much less noticeable to others.

Veronica now uses her hands daily. She also works with The Hand Project, serving as an ambassador to raise awareness of fitting camps in Tanzania and trains and counsels hand recipients, using her experience and understanding to guide and encourage them.

The Hand Project partners with carefully selected in-country NGOs and charities in the areas it serves to reach more people in need.

“Our partners know the best way to reach out to the unreached, because we’re talking about places with very, very remote villages,” said Chris Gulley, founder and director, The Hand Project, noting that people are not as electronically connected as they are in western countries.

Accidents, animal attacks and violence are among the many reasons for amputations in these developing nations. Money and resources are scarce for medical care, let alone a prosthesis.

Amputees suffer–sometimes for decades—being marginalized, made fun of, unable to complete daily activities and denied work.

“No one gets turned away from getting help,” said Chris, emphasizing The Hand Projects commitment. “Everyone who registers and turns up [to a fitting] will go away with a hand or an arm.”

Thermo Fisher Scientific colleagues in Langenselbold, Germany, assemble a prosthetic hand during a team-building exercise in partnership with The Hand Project. Event participants used only their non-dominant hand to better understand the limitations faced by those who would ultimately receive and use the mechanical hand. (Photo courtesy of Lars Friedmann)

The signs of success go far beyond joyful tears and heartfelt thank yous. The Hand Project helps recipients live, work, learn and play, restoring dignity along the way.

 

“For someone to go out in public and actually be able to swing their arms and to walk with pride, that alone gives a whole new sense of dignity,” Chris said. “But it is also in how they go about doing things in their daily lives. For them to be able to once again be able to feed themselves or to write, those sorts of things provide independence and dignity.”

 

Each year, The Hand Project helps approximately 3,000 people with upper limb amputations. Sadly, the need far exceeds the organization’s capabilities. “There are well over a million people who need hands,” Chris said. “It’s really sad and there are more and more and more all the time.”

 

The ongoing need for prosthetics requires The Hand Project to rely on corporate sponsors who use team-building events to assemble the German-made components into the prosthetic hands and to fund the breadth of the project. 

Pairing this purpose-driven effort to Thermo Fisher’s dedication to creating positive impact in local and global communities made sense to Lars Friedmann, project manager at Thermo Fisher’s facility in Langenselbold, Germany.

Lars learned of The Hand Project from a German colleague within Thermo Fisher’s network of more than 160 colleague-led Community Action Councils (CACs) that create volunteer and community-focused opportunities for team members to help advance STEM education and health equity.

Lars leads his site’s CAC and that team began organizing a team-building event to support the Hand Project, funded by Thermo Fisher’s Community Impact Grants.

In October 2023, 30 colleagues in Langenselbold worked in teams of three, assembling a total of 10 mechanical prosthetics and designing personalized carry bags. The teams were given an added challenge to better understand the limitations faced by recipients.

“Only the non-dominant hand was allowed to be used, to imagine what it feels like to live with such a restriction,” Lars said. “I think this is also good to experience for the team because you cannot work alone. You have to work as a team to make [the assembly] happen.”  

The completed hands were shipped to partner organizations in developing countries. After the hands were fitted to beneficiaries, the Thermo Fisher team received photos from the recipients.

Lars described an emotional and lasting impact for participating colleagues, knowing that the hands they built made a tangible difference. The event’s success has Lars planning another CAC event for The Hand Project in November.

Veronica Kidemi (center), The Hand Project Ambassador-Tanzania, sits with a woman and man who received new hands at a fitting event. Each recipient receives two hands, one cosmetic and one mechanical, free of charge. (Photo courtesy of The Hand Project)
Quotation marks
“No one gets turned away from getting help. Everyone who registers and turns up [to a fitting] will go away with a hand or an arm.”
Chris Gulley
Founder and director
The Hand Project

“There is a real need,” said Chris, from The Hand Project. “The more hands that we can get the more impact we can make.”

 

Veronica Kidemi knows that the hand she received through The Hand Project is helping “show the world I can do anything.”

 

Currently she is pursuing her Master of Education degree, continues to teach literature and English to secondary students, and runs an NGO dedicated to empowering women and girls and advocating for the end of gender-based violence and discrimination.

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