FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Sarjo Camara Singhateh
26 December 2011
“As we all know that ninety percent of disables in the Gambia are beggars in the streets, and this is what our organization is trying to address by creating job opportunities for them as well as projects that can be sustainable”, Mr. Lamin Manneh the president of NODO made these remarks at the GAMCOTRAP head office on 24th of December 2011 at a three year strategic planning meeting funded and supported by GAMCOTRAP. “As we cannot do it alone as an organization, therefore I am appealing to all stakeholders such as the Government, NGOs as well as the United Nations Agencies to help address the plight of the persons with disabilities in the form of finance and material resources so as to enable us achieve the desired goal.” He stated.
The National Organization for Disabled and Orphans’ president Mr. Lamin Manneh, a former trainee of GAMCOTRAP in 2005 said this occasion being hosted and financed by GAMCOTRAP, which is a clear manifestation of this NGO, leaves no stone un-turn in working with physically challenged organizations such as ours. “Also working hard with us to build our capacities, as the saying goes “disability does not mean inability” this means all doors should be open for persons with disability to contribute to a meaningful national, socio-economic development of this great nation.” He remarks. He concluded by appealing to other NGOs to emulate GAMCOTRAP.
For her part the Executive Director of the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP), Dr. Isatou Touray, speaking at this one day meeting said they are working to promote fundamental rights, human rights of people particularly women and girl child and also the vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities. This partnership, she went on is within the broader framework of GAMCOTRAP and our objective to advance and promote the human rights of people with disabilities.
” This also falls on the broader concepts of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities where the preamble states” that recognizing that the United Nations, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the international Covenants on Human Rights, has proclaimed and agreed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind,” and it also states that “reaffirming the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the need for persons with disabilities to be guaranteed their full enjoyment without discrimination”, she quoted.
“There is convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and am sure through this programming you will use it as a tool for advocacy to encourage the state/government of the Gambia to ratify that convention in order to promote and protect your human rights”, she stated. “Am sure everything on this matter is advancing on the right direction so it is your responsibility to uphold with government so that it can facilitate the ratification of that convention on the right of persons with disability.” She said they are here as a rights organization to facilitate so that you will self actualize in partnership with government. Mr. Lamin Manneh has also clearly stated that they have good relationship with the government. “We are here to work with you to facilitate development for you. I thank you all”
Abdou A.F. Bahoum, a senior assistant social welfare worker at the Ministry of health and social welfare who doubles as the vice chairperson at National Organization for Disables and Orphans (NODO) who speaking in Wolof said the plight of the disable should witness a positive reform from the society and the disables themselves. He said even the able bodied persons are sometimes unable to do some things for themselves, which he said some times the mission is completed by a machine or technology. He gave an example of river crossing and highlighted that whether a disable or able person if you want to cross the river, no matter what route you take to the terminal, you have to wait for a ferry to transport you to the other bank. So he called on every able person to respect the fate of the disable persons. He said some are not born with disabilities but because of incidents they became disabled. Mr. Bahoum said disable people should go in for trades, like petty trading, income generating activities other than begging. He said many a time people symbolise disable persons with beggars simply because that is the activity many take to living.
For her part ,Mary Small, a senior GAMCOTRAP officer who did her master’s thesis on differently able persons, said that she hopes the strategic plan will be able to address the sexual abuse and reproductive health because according to the research she did some of the differently able persons receive negative comments if they are going to seek for family planning services to name a few. She said some of them receive a charity which is not fit for them. She said for some they said they want to be self employed, but they don’t have money and the skills.
The one day event was coordinated by the senior Programme officer, Amie Bojang-Sisoho of GAMCOTRAP.
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