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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Feb 2006 : 12:40:29
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I have visited Gambia many times and love the country, I am however very concerned that although the Social Welfare do a great job there seems quite a lot that could be done to improve the lives of Physically disabled Gambians,who although accepted in the community appear to have very little help in training for a job,is this so or are there NGO's who try to help?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2006 : 15:04:42
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| Since I posted this 100 people have read the topic,any comments, replies, or anything, No NOT A THING physical disabilty does not exist in The Gambia,Oh really!Come on folks tell me what you think of our brothers and sisters who are disabled can they find love and a partner in life can they marry and have children? |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11792 Posts |
Posted - 30 Apr 2006 : 17:11:14
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Toubab, there is an organisation called GAPD - Gambian Association of the Physically Diasbled. I don't know how effective they are but I read they have a workshop where other handicap employee/s repair wheel chairs.
Organisations in Scandinavia such as Gambias Venner (Gambias Friends) in Denmark sends containers with a lot of handicap equipment for free distribution through the sister organisation in The Gambia every year. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 01 May 2006 : 11:40:59
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Hi Momodou,
Thanks for talking,I know of GADP they have the use of a small office at The Social Welfare in Banjul,but whenever I have visited there is only one girl there to answer the phone or write letters.The Wheelchar works that you mention is part of Social welfare and although it is true to say that the workers there are disabled and repair wheelchairs and crutches very well they are in no way a training facility.
Your equipment that is sent in containers is very welcome by the Social Welfare,for without it the Physically handicapped would have an even harder time.So, to sum up,there is no NGO or organisation that provides training to physically handicapped Gambians.
Maybe we should just think of the Physically handicapped men and women as invisable. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Newfy
Western Samoa
462 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2006 : 05:52:20
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Emmanuels Gift
Not sure if anyone has seen or had the time to view the film Emmanuels Gift. Its about a Ghanian fellow who is disabled and would never give up despite his disability... he's become a world renown
athlete..and if you check this site, there is a nonprofit for physically challenged athletes that might be able to help out.
If possible see the film, its chickenskin!!!
Heres the website...
http://www.emmanuelsgift.com/
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2006 : 06:24:23
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| Health and Social services are operating below standards. A Department of Social Welfare existed with very limited budgetary allocation to the needy. The policy makers are not improving their strategies and programmes to deal with disabilty issues and many of them are neglected to room and beg in the streets. |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2006 : 11:52:22
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Hi Newfy,
Thanks for that link,the film was made in America OK there was an African who wa the subject and who was an amputee who obtained a very expensive artifical leg and dedecated himself to becoming an athlete,good for him and we should all admire him but I was talking about Gambia and the physically disabled there,after all I think that is fair to say that we all love Gambia very much and want to see the best for her people otherwise we wouldn't waste our time joining this forum.So what is being done or what can be done for the disabled there? other posters to the forums have told us that there are donated containers of medical equipment being sent,others have poured scorn on the amount of help that overstreatched Gambian Social services can give,whats the answer on a more pratical level,I would suggest training disabled people in tailoring,tie and dye fabric production,cooking, computer skills,after all these skills can be used by the disabled just as well as the able bodied being an athlete is fine but earning a living from a job in your own country is better I think. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2006 : 22:33:05
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Toubab1020
I cannot agree more. I would rather want to call them the physically challenged instead of handicapped which connotes a stigma. Your suggestions are very relevant. Skill training is necessary if they have to be independent and productive memebers of the society.
I hate hand outs. Like the chinese say: Give a man a fish, he has fish for a day. Teach him how to fish he has fish for a lifetime. Infact it is safe to add that he might even give you fish incase you are not able to fish. It becomes a win win situation. Unfortunately there is a lot of stigma that takes time to change.
Once they are financially independent, they they will be able to command respect that they so badly need. I think there is GOVI ( Gambia Organisation for the Visually Impaired). They have been very vocal in calling the attention of those in the corridors of power to their plight. There is no place like home and having a job that provides a living wage in an environment conducive enough for basic rights and freedoms to be exercised, cannot be compared to anything in this world. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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Newfy
Western Samoa
462 Posts |
Posted - 02 May 2006 : 23:57:13
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There are many ways to deal with issues and problems. There is no one way of doing things... What does your community want to happen in this area..
I live in the U.S. currently.. If Emmanuel's story can raise awareness of the plight of the worlds disabled, then there is a benefit. If it can help someone out there, then there is a benefit. Ok, it doesn't help your situation, but it brings ideas ...grist for the mill to think about and maybe brainstorm with others. Could someone else who is disabled do something similar in the Gambia if they were interested to gain support of the stakeholders.. what do the people with disabilities think of that..? Ofcourse..It doesn't reverse the situation but atleast some light is shed upon it. It doesn't make the pain go away. Its going to take decades of hard dedicated work by people with disabilities and people like you.
Im not a fan of charity, however, I look for balance in multiple approaches over along period of time with honest committed people. There is a time to accept "help" and a time for those to be empowered to do the work...
I'm only here to offer information that might be helpful from other places. I wish you the best in your work. Newfy
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The law an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
Mohandas Gandhi |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2006 : 22:20:48
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| Hi,Thanks I am pleased that you agree with what I have said,but the fact still remains that THERE ARE NO TRAINING FACILITIES for the Phisically HANDICAPPED (OK sorry, challanged) available in the government or NGO sectors so what I thought initally that the physicaly handicapped in the Gambia are invisable appears to be a fact.What can I or WE do? |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Newfy
Western Samoa
462 Posts |
Posted - 06 May 2006 : 06:59:35
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Hi Toubab,
Is it a training facility that the people want?
I don't know if this would work for you, but something
a friend of mine has done in communities is to have
a meeting of all that want to make a change or have an issue
in their community. Then they discuss a group and
write down on paper, their pressing needs in their
community and prioritize them. They then discuss
what can be done and make a list of it on paper.
After reviewing the list, and these actions have
to be specific realizable and do-able, then they
assign tasks to people in the group and meet
every week to organize around the action steps
they have agreed to take. This action can take
an evening up to a whole day for the exercise with
breakfast, lunch and dinner offered to them..
Some actions that people might be able to take would
be working on a letter together or visiting in person or calling someone in the community, influential person etc; who knows about
these training facilities, researching about
training facilities the type and kind; are there
sister communities in neighboring countries who have
these facilities and have they had success.. is it possible to go visit as a group to tour the facility; are there grants
available to fund this venture; are there NGO like Oxfam
or Chesire Homes that might be able to help. Identify and
gather information to make a decision what to do...
Then based on whats identified by this group of people,
a map of steps can be developed to see where the group wants to go.
Its their plan and they have ownership in making it happen,
whatever it is.... it takes time to meet, organize, remeet
and take action steps, but overtime change can happen
and partnerships do occur and strategies do develop and learning occurs that is based on grassroot experience...
its just one of many ways to try something out..and can be innovated
upon..
hope this is clear and that not rambling on...
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 06 May 2006 : 12:36:28
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| I thank you very much for your input that is much appriciated everything that you say is firm and practical and may well be the way to go,but I have an awful feeling that as there are relativly few phisically handicapped (Challanged)Gambians all the big charities would not regard it as a viable project to them ,their funds and expertise could be put to better effect than to benefit a relativly few people,whereas other education programmes for instance would be a better way to go.Thanks for your reply |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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mamag
28 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2006 : 02:16:14
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| So what about those who have learning difficulties. They have one school in the Whole country and really its more like a day centre. Disability of any from is INVISABLE not only in Gambia, the rest of Africa but ALSO in many developing countries as well as in the Western World. The only difference is that here in the UK, we are lucky to have charities and government incentives to help. The Gambia on the other hand, well don’t even get me started. |
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