The Gambia
The Gunjur Inclusion Project
We started working here in 2011 – it was our first project. The project is in the west African coastal town of Gunjur. Our team of local staff have registered 200 disabled children so far and we have started a project (F500) to find 300 more – this takes time because disabled children are routinely excluded from daily life. The playscheme changes this.
The project is based around our purpose built centre – the Gunjur Inclusion Centre – where we deliver an all week playscheme for disabled children but as well as this we use the playscheme to deliver medical, school and social support programmes to disabled children and their families.
Playschemes - at the core of our model
This is important work but we also know that joyful images and presence of disabled children playing will support and promote the inclusion of disabled children – positively showing what they can do. It will enable local people to share positive experiences with previously hidden disabled children.
Playschemes are run by a team of locally-recruited staff – Leaders, Deputies and Playworkers. It is through play that we all learn essential skills of life but it is particularly crucial for children who have been isolated for their entire lives. Playschemes provide the perfect opportunity for social, educational and fun interaction – as well as this a playscheme immediately ends a disabled child’s isolation.
Recognising the increased risk of malnutrition for disabled children, all children who attend playschemes have a healthy hot meal – this is just one of the services that the playschemes is a central hub from which we can deliver vital services to disabled children and their families.
Finding 500 – Inclusive Education
Finding 500 is our initiative to raise awareness of the rights and needs of disabled children – it is designed to find 500 (or more) isolated disabled children who are hidden at home and not accessing education. Once we have engaged the family we will register their child to the playscheme so that they can come to play then consider how they will access and use our other support programmes.
Supporting the inclusion of disabled children into local schools
Fatou and Anchu delivered a workshop at a local school in Sinchu Wuri...
In early 2022, our project partners ran a training workshop for local school teachers. This allowed teachers to ask questions and describe the problems and barriers that disabled children experience and in turn that teachers face when delivering classes. Some outcomes were:
Starting a buddy system in class.
Considering realistic adaptations that can be made in class.
Overview of different common impairments that children have.
Overview of the Disability Africa model of inclusion and how we use play as a practical meaningful intervention for vulnerable disabled children.
We also...
Visit disabled children in school and their teachers to check in and review the approach out of which we get training ideas for local teachers on disability and inclusion. The aim of this is to develop and consider the skills and resources teachers need to overcome barriers to inclusion for disabled children.
Provide simple school materials for disabled children whose family cannot afford (or are unwilling to buy) the essentials.
Medical Support Programme
Through partnerships with local healthcare providers (including Edward Francis Teaching Hospital, and the Ministry for Health), we are able to provide essential medical care and support in Gunjur. Our Medical Support Programme is coordinated by a full-time Medical Support Officer, who visits families, arranges appointments, assessments, treatments and provides ongoing aftercare and support. As well as this we will deliver:
Access to life-changing surgery, where necessary.
Mobility equipment, such as shoes and wheelchairs.
And important and accurate information and advice for parents, to help them care for their child - this is vital in discouraging negative attitudes and superstitions, thus reducing the use of harmful traditional healing practices.
