WALSA commemorates Children's Day

WALSA is a non-profit, voluntary group of Female Law Students of West Africa. The organization is committed to protecting, promoting and preserving the rights of female Law Students and to establish a friendly relationship in West Africa and beyond.

Daniel J. Mendy, principal of St John's School for the Deaf, extended gratitude to the WALSA female forum for the generosity, which he said, would be put into good use.

"Being deaf or disable doesn't mean inability you can still have the potential to develop skills in life. Reading and writing may not just be the essence but the future also which they do not want them to be liability in the society. Educating them tends to extend their diversity by giving them the academic aspect of it."

Mendy urged both government and NGOs to always support the school in creating a conducive learning environment for students.

"The main support we get from the government is the salaries of every staff in the school through grant or aid. There is subvention which is paid to every staff as a way of salary provision. The government also came up with a package called school improvement grant which the only beneficiaries are schools with larger numbers. Along the way there is a particular group that comes to train girls on entrepreneurship skills which is the fabrication and production of sanitary pads which is reusable and there is no risk of infection." he stated.

He suggested that it is time for the legislature and the government to come up with a white paper urging government and parastatals to make it a regulation that every entity employ one or two fellows that are disable.

"People become disability through accidents, or sicknesses. Therefore, once you are surviving and kicking you are working on dangers of disability."

Khaddy Dibba, a teacher at St John's School for the Deaf, explained the challenges they currently face in teaching children with disability.

"Most of the parents do not want to involve into sign language. The only opportunity they have is the limited time spent with their teachers."

Ms Dibba said that most of the parents do not cater for their disability children when it comes to clothing, feeding and learning materials.

"Advantage is always given to children with ability. Majority of them are being marginalized. Only few are given the privilege as to the other children."

Being a child with disability, she observed, is quite challenging as they feel discriminated against and find it difficult to mingle with the society.

She therefore urged government to help in terms of transportation which is the biggest challenge they faced to ensure their safety.