By Zainab Jobarteh
Special Olympics Gambia is the leading voice raising awareness about people living with Intellectual Disability (ID) in the country. It is a global movement that uses sports, leadership and education in helping their athletes to excel in their individual societies.
Intellectual disability is a term used to describe persons with certain limitations in cognitive functioning and other skills including communications, socialisation and self-care. According to the WHO, 1-3 of the world’s population has an intellectual disability.
Amie Gibbs, the Programme Director of Special Olympics Gambia said their main goal is to educate people about individuals living with ID as well as empower youth with or without ID within The Gambia. She noted that they do it through sensitisation and awareness programmes, but particularly through sports.
Amie explained that they are highly invested in sports, but they have other programmes such as Athlete Leadership, Healthy Athletes, Young Athletes and Family Engagement.
“We do Siblings Forum where we encourage families to come together, chat and share tips on how to manage situations. The aim is to make siblings advocate for and help their own siblings as well as give them immediate help,’’ she said.
Modupe Afiz Ogun, the Athlete Leadership Programme Coordinator lamented that life is hard with people with ID and their families because when one has a problem with their brain, it affects the way they think and even the way they communicate sometimes.
“They cannot even take care of themselves, but still, when given an opportunity, you would be surprised how much they can do,’’ she stated.
She noted that for people with ID to achieve “what we know they can achieve’’, they need the support of persons without ID.
“This is why we have inclusion as a huge goal for us as a movement because we believe that it is only through inclusion that society can accommodate people with ID,’’ she said.
Special Olympics Gambia represented the country during the World Games in Dubai in 2019 and they came home with a Gold and Silver Medal. They also participated in the Pan African Games in Egypt in 2020 and came home with Gold Medals, a Silver and Bronze Medals.
Omar Touray, the Sports Director said they have 65 athletes and while they organise weekly trainings for them, they are sort of resources as a result of which they struggle with transportation.
Meanwhile, Special Olympics Gambia will be participating in the World Games in Berlin next year in June.
