For those of you who don't know, Gallaudet is one of the best in the World
for the blind and deaf. I myself met a brilliant fellow from this school at
CES in Vegas two years ago. How can we help this Gambian who has such a
great opportunity to improve himself, yet cannot attend because of funds?
Desperate blind boy appeals for funds to study in America
Yankuba Amadou Faal Sonko who described himself as a desperate blind Gambian
said he hopes Samaritans would come to his rescue by paying his educational
bills to attend Gabbaudet University in USA. Yankuba who was a student of
Nusrat Senior Secondary School last year and could use a typewriter in spite
of his blindness said his condition would not deter him from the aim of
furthering his education, although he decried the lack of encouragement to
that effect.
‘I am therefore, strongly appealing to private individuals, the private
sector, state departments and organisations for financial support to cater
for the period of my one year studies in USA’ he said, adding that in he has
been assured of full scholarship for the following year. Yankuba said as a
result of his financial problem he has been reduced to a sad boy who needs
the encouragement of others to keep his dreams alive. ‘Outside education, I
have practically nothing to prepare for my future’ he lamented.
Yankuba said he was not born blind. According to him his blindness resulted
from playing with a friend who mistakenly poked his finger into one of his
eyes, which had bled in pain. He said as a result of this his career as a
senior secondary school student was discontinued as he sought treatment,
leading to an eye operation, which failed. His eye gradually deteriorated to
actual blindness he sadly explained. ‘In fact I went up to form three in a
High school, where I was on the verge of completing in 1993. I really admire
my friends, working in offices and other sectors, which creates feelings of
hopeless despair.
Sometimes I get so run down emotionally that I contemplate committing suicide
especially when I see myself as a useless liability to society’ he said.
Although Yankuba believes that being visually impaired does not spell the end
of one’s life, ostracisation does not help his feeling about himself. He said
only consistent and unconditional support from others would help boost their
sense of self-worth. He cited as an instructive example, the help by
Senegalese musician Youssou Ndure of a budding musician called Abdoulaye
Mbye, who has shot to not only fame but has also been turned into a useful
member of the Senegalese society.
He said if the blind reggae musician Franky Paul and America’s Steven Wonder
could carve a niche for themselves with the intervention of their societies,
he believes that The Gambia has enough good people to take their plight up.
‘We can do more than sighted people’ he boasted. He said he was looking
forward to the day when he would be the first blind Gambian to graduate from
a University. ‘A helping hands is all I need’ he said. Anybody interested in
bailing Yankuba out of his condition should please contact him by his own
address, Yankuba Amadou Faal Sonko C/O Mamo Dampha, Serrekunda, and Tel:
461042
Copyright 2000 QuantumNET
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