FOROYAA Newspaper Educating the People Front Page Burning Issues National News International News What the Readers Say Marriage and Family Sports Student Voice Disability Health and Nutrition Art and Music Press Release Editorial Human Rights African News Governance and Democracy Know Your Public Institutions Your Representative Woman and Development The Future Generation Farmers Eye Support to Those in Need About Us Contact Us Archive Sitemap Get GM Domain Name Free Job Database Gambia Car Trade Free Hotel Listing Disability Interview with a Visually Impaired, Cherno Ceesay, a student at Nusrat High School Published on Wednesday, 20 November 2013 19:36 | Written by Mustapha Jallow HE TELLS THE STORY OF HIS LIFE AND EXPERIENCE AS A DISABLED PERSON Cherno: I am Cherno Ceesay, a visually impaired, aged 21, a native of Essau in the North Bank Region and a Grade 11 Arts student at Nusrat High School. Mustapha: Where you born visually impaired? Cherno: Yes, I was born with it. Mustapha: Please narrate a brief account of your experience as a visually impaired from childhood. Cherno: Well, when I grew up older and realized that I lost my sight, it was a bit difficult for me because I was subjected to many things. I had friends who discouraged me to not attend school. But with my passion and commitment to education, I compelled myself to go to school and learn despite numerous challenges I’ve encountered. People had this common misconception that disables cannot and should not be educated at all, but my response to that is, any disabled person can be educated and employed as the able irrespective of race or ethnicity because disability doesn’t mean inability. I have also faced very tough times at school because some of my teachers did not have the patience and cooperation to cope with my situation and create a conducive environment for me to learn effectively as my fellows. I tried everything possible to ensure that they understand, but things remained the same at that time. I had 5 eye operations between 2002 and 2009 but no sign of improvement was noticed. I joined the Blind school to learn how to read and write with a Braille machine and this significantly improved my vision and thus enabled me to learn effectively. Mustapha: What were some of the challenges you are faced with as a disabled? Cherno:As you know in our African context, disables are not much cared for and therefore have to struggle to make ends meet. One of the many challenges I was faced with is the stigma and discrimination of being disabled and can’t participate in any decision making or developmental processes in our various communities. Disables are subjected to unequal rights to opportunities and employment, justice and favorable working conditions. All these are extreme bad ideologies people develop against the disables. Why should we be isolated or discriminated? Are we not members of the society? We’re part of the society and therefore should be given equal rights and attention in order to live meaningfully and contribute our quota in nation building. Some are of the view that if you’re disabled then you should be on the streets or from one house to another to beg for alms for survival. It’s wrong to say or have such beliefs because they’re negative concepts. Mustapha: How do you feel as a disabled going to school despite the challenges? Cherno: I feel very humbled, proud and consider myself as lucky because it’s really not easy to attend school in the Gambia when you’re disabled. Lots of disables are not attending school so I’m really grateful to have this opportunity. Please allow me narrate this scenario; it was a day in my current school, Nusrat. A recent grade 10 student who completely lost his vision was enrolled in the school and one day during break, as I was passing by I heard some other students discussing that how could that boy read, write or neither study? Well, it could be a doubt, but not impossible, that boy was among the outstanding and brightest students in his former school because Disability doesn’t mean inability. So let people not think that if you’re disabled that means you can’t do anything unless you take begging of alms as a career or means of living. Mustapha: Have you benefited from any assistance or support from the Government and other NGOS eg. Gambia Federation for the Disabled (GFD), Gambia Organization for the Visually Impaired (GOVI), Sight savers etc? Cherno:Yes Mustapha: What are they? Cherno: They have really supported me personally especially GOVI, but the support is limited due to increase in the number of those that lost their sights and also the limited availability of funds. They’ve also given me good care and opportunity to access to the World Wide Web with their computers, stay connected and research information as well as recreation. Being the only blind resource centre in the country, GOVI goes out in remote areas of the country in search of blind people and teach them how to read and write using a Braille machine and this is what is expected from all. Under the Integrated Educational Program (IEP), I have benefited tremendously, they paid my school tuition bills and attached a teacher aide who relentlessly and tirelessly came to my school almost on a daily basis to help me with some school works in a bid to realize my dreams. Mustapha: what is your aspiration, the career you want to study? Cherno:I want to study Law as a future career. Mustapha: Why do you want to take the legal profession as a life career? Cherno: It’s just a dream and passion I had, because I want to fight for the rights of my fellow disables from the horrendous discriminations and stigma they’re subjected to. In the case of wars, the disables suffer on a greater scale. Mustapha: what’s your point of view and thoughts on the recent rounding up of street beggars who were tried at the Kanifing Magistrate court? Cherno: I was definitely sad and sympathetic as well as disappointed with such actions taken against those beggars. They’ve families and are discriminated, stigmatized and cannot be employed either. So their only source or mean of living is to beg charity and alms from people. If they weren’t disabled, unskilled or unemployed they would not have gone to the streets and beg people. Mustapha: What support would you need if someone wants to help you? Cherno: Any kind of assistance from anybody who can support me in the realization of my dreams and aspirations. Disability education in the Gambia is quite expensive, so it’s not easy. The Braille machines and its equipment are costly and expensive. Mustapha: What is your advice to your fellow disable persons and the general public at large? Cherno: I want people to change their attitude towards the disables and let disables come together as one, join GOVI, GFD and so on so as to be supported and empowered to achieve the common goal. We need unification amongst ourselves because if we don’t unite as one, we wouldn’t be recognized and will find it difficult to live and cope in the society. We also need to participate in leadership roles so that the people can be aware of our existence and promote our welfare and wellbeing as good members of the society. Parents should send their disabled children to school and learn. Finally, people should drop the misconception that disables are not and should not be part of any developmental processes of any nation. We can do it and believe me we can do it because disability doesn’t mean inability. Mustapha: Thanks for granting me this insightful and interesting interview. Cherno: Thank you too, the pleasure is really mine. Cherno can be reached on 3491022 or contact Foroyaa Telephone (220) 4393177, Email Address sillasi@hotmail or [email protected] GFD ACTIVITIES IN GFD NEWS LETTER > Category: Disability © 2013 by Foroyaa Newspaper, The Gambia Powered by BnB Solutions
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:13:12 +0000
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