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Momodou
Denmark
11792 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Jun 2006 : 17:15:07
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IGNORANCE STIFLES
In our traditional society Poverty, social stigma, superstitious blind beliefs are widespread. Traditional values and ethics sometimes create great hurdles in the present society. However, eliminating bad practices in society is a big challenge to people who are used to do certain activities. Also there are no comprehensive policies and legislations to address and enforce these issues. Poor and marginalized people are therefore the victims.
If we look at the present context; rapid growth of population, unemployment and migration towards the city creates great havoc. However this bring light to the fact that in terms of feticide, infanticide, abuse, sexual harassment, molestation, child sex tourism, it just degraded our social values in the society.
They must be given equal treatment and opportunities from the very beginning. Equal opportunities should be provided for girls as well as boys to benefit from proper health, nutrition, education and other basic services to enable them to grow to full potential.
The most important aspect to deal with is change in social attitude. The results indicate that female literacy and urbanization have a positive impact on the survival of the child. Immediate steps need to be taken to educate women, especially in rural areas.
There is need to facilitate community-based leadership training, to ensure and improve access to rehabilitation, education, training, employment, sports, in short, the cultural and physical environment.
The country women are, perhaps, the most neglected segment in the society. Bias against them arises from hackneyed assumption about their "proper role" in society.
Civil society and government should promote special measures for children, youth, women and people with disability.
A Case Study of Fatu
Case details:
Fatu is a 30 years old girl with both legs and right arm paralysed. She belongs to a very poor family, she has one elder brother and two sisters. These two sisters got married when Fatu was in school. She lived in a small village named Kombo Darisallami behind Brikama, during her teen age she lost her parents. Somehow, she was able to complete her secondary school. Because her father is the only bread winner of the family, she thought of ways to survive and started to work in a clinic named (Essent Clinic) in Darisallami as a nurse near to her village. She assisted the doctor in dressing, giving injections, also giving medicines to patients. In that way she earned a little amount of money to feed her family.
One day she felt some burning sensation in her legs, she took it very casually, because she thought it may be due to heavy work load.
As days passed it became so terrible and intolerable that she was not able to sleep. She asked her sister to put some water in a bucket and put her legs in it for hours. She could not sleep till late at night. In the mean time Fatu was not able to report for work and slowly she was not able to walk and just laid down in the bed.
The next morning with the help of her elder sister, she went to Brikama medical health centre but was referred to a research centre, where she went through lots of tests and again sent back to Brikama.
When the doctor saw the reports, he said it could be cured. She was quite disappointed and panicked. She spent lots of money to move here and there for treatment. In that situation most people suggested to her to go for the traditional healers, who used to give some kind of local medicine.
However there was no improvement, things got worse.
The sickness was felt from foot to buttocks and partially in the right arm.
She was unable to walk and she rested in bed. After that she went to the hospital where the doctor said it is not curable. Fatu panicked, she thought she would not be able to stand on her legs for the rest of her life and her life would become miserable.
One day, one of the Church pastors visited her and suggested to her to go for another treatment, he took her to a large teaching hospital, The doctor in charge suggested it can be cured, but asked why she came so late, after three and half years had passed. Fatu now saw a little bit of hope in the doctors' eyes and they started with some physiotherapy treatment. During her treatment, she received various types of therapy, infrared massage and some exercises. Nowadays she comes once a week and she is quite in a better position.
In a couple of months she may recover fully and she has started to walk a little.
Presently Fatu is staying in a friend's house at Latrikunda She has plans, she likes to go back to her previous job so that she will serve mankind.
"Let us joins hands and fight for the disabled people in The Gambia"
Partha Sarathi Sahoo
VSO Volunteer,
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 42/2006, 1 June - 4 June, 2006
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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