Bundung Association for the disabled and their children has promised to stop street begging soon. The NGO, which helps people living with disability and their children, is also engaged in development initiatives.

The association states its primary focus as being education and skills training as a means to alleviating poverty and empowering participants to adequately tackle the problems of everyday life.

In an interview with The Point, Mr. Demba K. Darboe President of the association said the sponsorship scheme for the disabled is in high gear and assisting disabled students and their parents. The scheme is operational in various schools and aims to eradicate poverty because without assistance of this kind people would face a very bleak future as their parents rely entirely on begging as their only source of income.

“The skills training programme is free of charge and is run from the association headquarters with participants required to reside at the site for the duration of that training” Mr. Darboe explained. He added that this also contributes to the workforce of the association.

In conclusion Mr. Darboe said it was the associations intention to eradicate street begging by 2010 with the help of philanthropists, NGO’s and the Government. This he feels can be achieved by creating an environment that is conducive to the needs of those living with disabilities. In encouraging people to contribute financially to the association Mr. Darboe said donations are an exercise in nation building.