He called on the private sector and public sector as well as individuals to support initiatives that provide computer education to the visually impaired.
“There are many reasons I came up to support my fellow visually impaired people so that they can participate fully in all sectors of development,” he added.
Mr Jaiteh made this remark on Saturday in commemoration of the Brikama-based training centre’s one year of existence, which coincided with the launch of their website.
He added: “Start Now is an organisation with the mission to empower high school graduate and youths, who are visually impaired, to acquire skills on computer; to prepare them for higher education and employment.
“Technology plays a vital role in today’s world and the visually impaired should be capacitised in this area. We are here to promote and enhance technology so that the visually impaired can have access to higher education and also work in all office in the Gambia without limitation.
“More than 15 visually impaired people have benefited from Start Now training support and some can enjoy using computer to communicate, internet to browse and to work with different Microsoft applications,” Jaiteh said.
Charles Degold Gomez, programme coordinator, said: “Alieu’s dream of becoming an accountant has changed because in The Gambia, the notion for the visually impaired is to become teachers or beggars. So, when he completed his school, he was unable to find a job as an accountant due to lack of special training and motivation.”
Gomez added: “The idea of this intensive training programme for the blind is to pave way for them to further their education to be able to become politicians, lawyers, psychologists, managers, entrepreneurs, accountants and et cetera.
Mahmoud Lamin Jawla, deputising for the governor of West Coast Region said: “We need to wipe misconception about people with disability. We must begin with the strong conviction that this people have a role to play in society.”
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