A Dalasi 2,5 million Nursery and Skill Centre for The Gambia Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GADHOH) Female Wing, sponsored by Foundation BUGANALA, was yesterday officially inaugurated at a ceremony held at the school grounds in Kanifing.

Foundation BUGANALA, a charitable organisation based in The Netherlands, represented by Mrs. Marieke IJsendoorn and Mr. Cees IJsendoorn, sponsored the new buildings, including furniture, learning materials and playground equipment for the children.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mrs. Isatou Sanyang, director of GADHOH Female Wing, disclosed that the Female Wing is the first branch of GADHOH, which was formed in the 1990’s. She noted that they work for the empowerment of deaf children and women by providing education opportunity for them among others.
According to her, the Foundation did very well in supporting this project, adding that the school was build by Gert Jan van der Marel, project manager Foundation to Build, and deaf boys.
About Dalasi 2,5 million was spent on the buildings, including borehole with pump and water tank on solar, electricity connection, kitchen equipment, learning materials, office furniture, tables and chairs for the skills centre and nursery school.
“Disability does not mean inability. What an able person can do, a disable can equally do or better. Parents of the deaf, it is time for us to join hands and paddle our boats into the river for the success of our beloved children”, she advised.

For his part, Alhajie Luntang Jaiteh, Alkalo of Bakau, expressed delight at Foundation BUGANALA for the great gesture. He also encouraged the students to work very hard and make best use of the institution.

Dodou Loom, executive director of GADHOH, disclosed that in The Gambia, there is a high demand for training of the deaf people and then quickly urged the Department of State for Education and other well-wishers to put more resources for the deaf people. He equally expressed delight at the project and thanked the Foundation BUGANALA and all those who contributed in the development of the schools.

For her part, Mrs. Marieke IJsendoorn, chairperson of Foundation BUGANALA also expressed delight at seeing the project became a reality. According to her, the aim of Foundation BUGANALA is to work for the Millennium Development Goal: All children to school in 2015, because everybody as the right to be educated. She then appealed to the teachers to take up their responsibility and keep the school rolling.

Amadou Touray, Gamtel programme relation manager and the honorary life president of GADHOH also thanked the Department of State for Local Government and Lands for giving them the land and the Department of State for Education for their contribution. He appealed to the institutions to employ this people and also to assist the school.