An organization called ASK-Gambia the Next Generation, in collaboration with Global Initiative for Support with people with disabilities The Gambia-UK, Tuesday donated food items to children with disabilities at the GOVI preparatory school in Kanifing.
The donated items included cartons of sardines, bottles of vinegar and gallons of mayonnaise and others items worth D6,000 meant to help the children with food provision.
The school has enrolled over 40 disabled children including the blind, officials of the school said.
The organization was formed to support the vulnerable and the needy children in The Gambia with the hope that they could do more together as an organization and help the children to excel.
Presenting the donated items, board member of ASK-Gambia the Next Generation, Yaya Giana, told The Point they had realised that some children from poor families would go to school without taking breakfast, adding that they decided to come up with the items to help the children.
“The children of GOVI are special children who need care and support and we think we can do more to help them with collaborative efforts,” he said.
Since the government could not do all alone, he noted, they also decided to do their quota for the benefit of the children, who are visually disabled.
He said if the children are not given proper education, they would find it difficult when they grow old and would end up being beggars.
But if given the necessary care and support, the children could be among the most productive citizens in the future.
He added that in some other nations in the world, disabled people run companies because they have the education and talents.
He said if the children go to school without adequate food, they would not be able to fully concentrate during lectures.
The organization was registered in Sweden and they are also looking forward to registering it in The Gambia, he said. Assan Sanno of the Global Initiative for Support with people with disabilities The Gambia-UK, said the two organizations have similar objectives of helping the disabled and needy children of The Gambia.
He said they are making efforts with their Gambian counterparts in the UK to help the needy and disabled children in The Gambia by providing support and learning opportunities for children.
GOVI headmaster Ali Sallah thanked the donors for the gesture, saying their primary focus is to provide the children with quality education.
He said providing food to these children would greatly help as most of them go to school without food or lunch money, adding that the gesture was a huge relief of some of their burden.
Mr Sallah said the school provides breakfast and lunch for the students on daily basis, as well as the children’s daily transportation.
He thanked The Gambia government, private institutions and other philanthropies for their support to the school.
Regarding the school’s constraints, he said they are finding it difficult as school learning materials are expensive.
He urged other NGOs, private institutions and individuals to emulate the donors for the benefit of the Gambia.
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