The Bundung Association of the Disabled in The Gambia, BADAC, is poised to usher in a new era of development and limitless hope for the disabled people who aspire to be self-reliant.

The association is also determined to impart employable skills to the disabled people so as to enable them lead decent lives as against street begging.

“By 2010, no disabled person will beg in the streets with the help of the Government and all other stakeholders to show sympathy and solidarity in the process of clearing disabled beggars from the streets, shops and even in our offices,” said the outwardly confident-looking president of Bundung Association of Disabled in The Gambia, Mr. Dembo Darboe.

He hastened to add: “This would be actualized by training them in handicraft skills to give them sustainable means of survival without begging on the streets, provision of soft loans for the establishment of small-scale businesses for those who cannot be in training sessions, sponsoring their children for formal and non-formal education for better future.”

According to Mr. Darboe in an exclusive interview with The Point, his association aims at establishing a nursery/kindergarten school within reach of each community to create early awareness on the part of parents as a way of homing in on them the significance of sending their children to the school.

“Though, the nursery/kindergarten school programme is not actually free of costs, the association may decide to negotiate for sponsors for some of the bright pupils who demonstrate zeal but lack the financial back-up and the number of pupils to benefit from this arrangement would be determined by the number of available sponsorship packages,” Mr. Darboe concluded.