By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
“People with disabilities should never change to suit the world, but the world must change to suit their needs to accommodate them,” Sainabou Syllon Touray, a passionate advocate for vulnerable children with disabilities, told The Fatu Network, firmly believing that society should embrace and accommodate them, rather than stigmatise them.
Born and raised in The Gambia but residing in the United Kingdom, Sainabou Shyllon Touray, a mother of two boys, is a strong and devoted proponent championing the rights of vulnerable children with disabilities in The Gambia. She used her foundation to distribute millions of dalasi to every village in The Gambia, supporting neglected and stigmatized children with disabilities.
In 2013, Sai – a woman who is affectionately referred to as such on social media – became an advocate for the rights of children with disabilities after her second son was born with Down syndrome. Sai was deeply disturbed by the derogatory names that some people in The Gambia would call her son, and she made a personal commitment to put an end to this kind of name-calling. Sai’s experience with her son inspired her to take action and become a vocal advocate for the rights and privileges of children with disabilities.
This experience led to her co-founding the Welfare of Children with Down Syndrome in The Gambia Charity, which supports vulnerable children and families with similar conditions.
“I started advocating for children with disabilities right after I had my second child, Marly in 2013. Because of the names that were used by Gambians to describe my son Marly and the conditions he was born with. I never accepted and agreed with such words being used like ‘Domi Jinneh’ or other horrible names. So, I initiated the Marly Charity Foundation to help vulnerable children and families in The Gambia,” Sai explained to TFN.
Growing up, she witnessed her parents, a midwife and a police officer, dedicate their time to community work alongside their family obligations. Inspired by their example, she now helps vulnerable children with disabilities in The Gambia from her home in the UK.
“I moved from village to village growing up, seeing my mum as a nurse and then a midwife helping others. I did voluntary work alongside my mum serving communities. So, helping others has been a part of me and my way of life. I can’t imagine a life without helping and serving others,” she said.
Sai is a resident of the developed world, residing with her special needs son, who receives ample support in the UK. However, despite the aid and care, Sai could not help but feel a sense of despair, realizing that numerous vulnerable children in the Gambia are also special needs and require aid to survive and thrive in their society.
According to her, she yearns to make sure that those going through hardships in taking care of special needs children are not left on their own or mourn in silence. She said that those mothers and children deserve equal treatment and opportunities, and to be valued as humans in society.
Sai, who is herself a mother of a child with special needs and a strong advocate for the rights of disabled children, urges other mothers with special needs children not to feel ashamed or embarrassed about their situation. She believes that the needs of these children are basic human needs and there is nothing wrong with that.
“We have responsibilities as parents, family members or caregivers to do right by people with disabilities. We must see them as people first before their conditions. We must take care of their needs, give them love at home, a comfortable environment, and give them peace of mind to grow and develop themselves. Furthermore, we must accord them with every change and opportunities to strive,” she said, urging other parents with special needs children to do right by them.
Over the years, Sai and her foundation have raised millions of dalasis to fight against child hunger, fund medical bills, nutrition, and support children with disabilities with school materials.
“I am not stopping that anytime soon,” she pledged.
Sainabou’s strong desire to help children with special needs is constantly growing with each passing day, as she envisions a multitude of initiatives. Her ultimate goal is to establish specialized centres for disabled children in all regions of The Gambia, where many of them are currently left behind at home. She firmly believes that these centres will offer crucial and much-needed services such as therapy and counselling, which will enable them to integrate into society.
By creating these centres, Sainabou envisions a future where these children will have the opportunity to live happily alongside their peers. She is determined to pursue her dreams until she sees a society that fully embraces and respects children with disabilities as valued members of the community.
“My plan is to continue to advocate to see a world and a Gambia that sees persons with disabilities as people, respects their rights, values and treats them with respect and remembers that they are equal and value members of our society. I owe that to my child and all children regardless of their gender, background, or faith. They are all humans,” she outlined.
Sai, a popular and widely recognized young woman who is passionately advocating for the rights of vulnerable children, urged every member of the society to adopt a more inclusive approach and consider children with disabilities as individuals with immense potential.
She firmly believes that having a disability should not be a hindrance to participating in activities that contribute to the development of the country. She emphasized that every child deserves an equal chance to thrive and make a valuable contribution to society.
