(Friday, 8 January 2016 Issue)
The Global Initiative for the Support of People with Physical Disability (GISPD) – a charitable foundation supporting education, health, mobility, among others – Thursday donated mobility aids to the Department of Social Welfare in Banjul.
Ansumana Sano, country coordinator of the organisation, said GISPD was founded by Ousman Jallow, a UK-based Gambian who is supporting Gambians worldwide. The foundation was registered in The Gambia in 2014.
Sano explained that the major focus of the organisation is supporting disabled children and children of disabled parents. The organisation gives support in the areas of education, health, mobility, among others.
Sano said in the area of education, they scout disabled children across the country, and enrol and maintain them in school, including in the special needs schools.
On health, he said they organise hospital visits and health camps, where they provide services for the disabled children.
Last year, they visited three hospitals:Kanifing, Brikama and Gunjur and provided them with food and beverages, sanitary materials as well as paid bills for 10 disabled children.
“We also held two health camps in Jarra Sitahuma and Badibu Chamen to campaign against the root causes of disability in The Gambia.”
In the area of mobility, GISPD provides mobility aids to its target group, and “today is testimony to that. Today, we are here to present mobility aids to the Department of Social Welfare,” the GISPD coordinator announced.
He expressed hope that the partnership between the department and the organisation would continue to flourish as far as helping the disabled is concerned.
Gabu Jarju, head of the Rehabilitation Unit at the Department of Social Welfare, said disability is on the rise in The Gambia, and one institution alone cannot do it all.
“As such the Gambian disabled persons are in need,” he said, and thanked GISPD for the gesture.
Mr Jarju appealed to the organisation “to look at the bigger picture by maybe bringing experts who will come to them and work on disability.
Sainey Camara, rehabilitation technician at the Department of Social Welfare, said disability is a cross-cutting issue which can happen to anyone at any stage of life.
He called on other organisations to emulate GISPD in supporting people with disability.