Koalaa: an AT impact story

Kate Mattick

March 28, 2023

Sierra Leone

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“My son can play with others without any fears , he can eat food by himself , the limb suits him well" - parent of an AT user

Two images side by side. The image on the left is of a man standing wearing his upper limb prosthesis. He is smiling towards the camera and carrying a shopping bag. The image on the right is of a man fitting his own upper limb prosthesis

In this impact story we share the journey of Koalaa who reinvented the prostheses, and reimagined the service - developing a soft modular solution, 20 time cheaper than traditional approaches, that could be tailored to meet individuals needs in Sierra Leone.

User testing identified regional preferences for the comfy like clothes, in-a-box solution to be aesthetically subtle for use outside of the home, and tool focus for use within.

To develop a distribution system and overcome complex regulations, bureaucracy and local bylaws, AT2030 supported Koalaa to partner with local government, the National Rehabilitation Council, and agreed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health. AT2030's Assistive Tech Impact Fund (ATIF) has worked with Koala to test and validate a sustainable, end-to-end service blueprint for manufacturing, fitting, maintaining and scaling prosthetics in low-resource contexts.

The Impact

Between August and December 2022, 60 Decibels (a global, tech-enabled impact measurement company) conducted a survey with 29 upper limb prosthetic users of the Koalaa product. They wanted to capture and understand the impact AT had on the users.

Their results:

64% of AT users reported their use of the assistive device was there first time access – an important indicator of the impact of Koalaa, an AT company that is enabling access for those who had never had it before
70% reported the prosthesis had improved their life (35% reported their prosthesis had greatly improved their life).
35% reported they would recommend to Koalaa to others due to its comfort, efficiency and user-friendliness of product.
59% of AT users further reported their dependence on caregivers/family members decreased as a result of using the prosthesis

The reasons for increased positive changes were described by AT users as being related to increased independence, better movement/mobility and the ability to dress oneself and a quote from one AT user provides further evidence of that impact:

“I'm able to do basic daily work without depending on my family members. Earlier for tasks like going to washroom, cooking I used to ask my family members but now I can do it myself with the help of the prosthetic.” - AT user

The experiences and accounts of those using a Koalaa prosthesis clearly demonstrate how access to an AT company, can create life changing results for the end-users.

Find out more about the Koalaa innovation journey and impact through this showcase board.