PET is both a
faith-basedIn the United States of America, the term faith-based is used to describe organizations that are religious in nature and distinguish those organizations from government, public or private secular organizations.-History:...
, volunteer-driven, 501(c)(3)
Non-profit organizationA nonprofit organization is an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals . Examples of NPOs include charities , trade unions, and public arts organizations...
and an acronym for the
Personal Energy Transportation vehicle that the group constructs and distributes at no cost to provide mobility to disabled children and adults worldwide.
PET grew out of a 1994 trip by Methodist missionary Reverend Larry Hills to
ZaireThe Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971, and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".Known as the Belgian Congo up until its...
, where he first recognized the need for the device when he encountered survivors of polio and landmines who could not walk but could not use
wheelchairA wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. The device is propelled either manually or via various automated systems. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness , injury, or disability...
s in their rural environments.
PET is both a
faith-basedIn the United States of America, the term faith-based is used to describe organizations that are religious in nature and distinguish those organizations from government, public or private secular organizations.-History:...
, volunteer-driven, 501(c)(3)
Non-profit organizationA nonprofit organization is an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals . Examples of NPOs include charities , trade unions, and public arts organizations...
and an acronym for the
Personal Energy Transportation vehicle that the group constructs and distributes at no cost to provide mobility to disabled children and adults worldwide.
History
PET grew out of a 1994 trip by Methodist missionary Reverend Larry Hills to
ZaireThe Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971, and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".Known as the Belgian Congo up until its...
, where he first recognized the need for the device when he encountered survivors of polio and landmines who could not walk but could not use
wheelchairA wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. The device is propelled either manually or via various automated systems. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness , injury, or disability...
s in their rural environments. Hills and his wife Laura spoke with Reverend Mel West about a modified wheelchair that might serve, hand-cranked with three wheels. West involved product designer Eal Miner in producing a prototype built with an eye to sturdiness, simplicity and cost effectiveness. In 1996, four prototypes were put to the test in Zaire. Based on their performance, PETs went into production and shipped for distribution in Zaire.
In 1997, PET production began to expand into other countries, beginning with
MozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. It was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498...
. In 2000, to meet growing demand, West opened a facility in
Columbia, MissouriColumbia is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With an estimated population of 100,733 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone...
which serves to receive donated parts, to assemble PETs and ship them internationally. A second US facility was opened in
Penney Farms, FloridaPenney Farms is a town in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 580 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 617.- History :...
USA (near
Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida, and is the county seat of Duval County. Since 1968, as a result of the consolidation of the city and county government, and a corresponding expansion of the city limits to include almost the entire county, Jacksonville became the...
) by the Hills that same year. In 2003, a third facility was established in
Luling, TexasLuling is a city in Caldwell and Guadalupe County, Texas, along the San Marcos River. The population was 5,080 at the 2000 census. There is some debate as to how Luling got its name. Some say it was named for a Chinese railroad worker, others for a judge named Luling...
.
In 2004, to help manage the growth and production of PETs, Pet International was incorporated, with a Board of Trustees and staff to help manage all issues related to assembling and distributing PETs. The cost of the components for a PET have dropped to $250 from the initial amount of over $300.
Countries
PET machines have been shipped to Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Gabon, Georgia (Russia), Gaza, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Bank, Western Sahara, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
External links