GOVI Leading the Fight for Inclusion of the Visually Impaired in The Gambia

The Gambia Organisation of the Visually Impaired (GOVI) is championing the rights, education, and empowerment of persons with visual impairments across the country. Founded in 1991 through the merger of the Gambia Society for the Blind and the Gambia Association of the Blind, GOVI has since grown into a nationwide network run entirely by visually impaired Gambians themselves. “We are a national organisation with ten branches across the country and over 2,000 registered members,” said Lamin Colley, Executive Director of GOVI. “We also support more than 600 children who are beneficiaries of our programs.” At the heart of GOVI’s work lies education and rehabilitation. The organisation operates the only special school for the blind in The Gambia, located in Kanifing. The school caters to children from nursery through grade six before integrating them into mainstream education with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.

“Currently, we have over 50 students enrolled. Education is our top priority, and all services provided are free,” Mr Colley explained. “While the government supports teacher salaries, GOVI provides all learning materials and other needs.” Rehabilitation and Skills Development Beyond education, GOVI runs extensive rehabilitation programs for adults who acquire visual impairments later in life. These programs include vocational training in animal husbandry, poultry keeping, vegetable gardening, and petty trading. Beneficiaries are also given small grants to start income-generating activities. Under its four-year RISE Program — Rehabilitation, Inclusion, Strengthening, and Empowerment — GOVI, in partnership with the Danish Association of the Blind, supports six branches in four regions. The program offers orientation and mobility training, daily living skills, and community advocacy. “Through RISE, we train our members to live independently, support branch committees, and strengthen their local operations,” Mr Colley said.

Partnerships and Relief Support GOVI relies heavily on donor funding and charitable support to sustain its programs. Partners such as Direct Aid Gambia, and the Sufism Disability Council play crucial roles in providing resources and emergency relief, especially during festive seasons like Ramadan and Eid. “During Ramadan, we distribute food items so our members can also celebrate with dignity,” Mr Colley noted. “We also provide assistance when members are affected by disasters such as floods.” However, he expressed concern about the lack of formal collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). “So far, NDMA’s activities are not inclusive of persons with disabilities,” he said. “Inclusion must begin from the design stage of every strategy or policy.”

Challenges and Sustainability Despite its achievements, GOVI faces significant challenges. Donor fatigue, limited resources, and the high cost of educational materials for the visually impaired continue to strain operations. “Globally, education for the visually impaired is the most expensive form of education,” Mr Colley emphasised. “We are doing our best with limited resources, but sustainability remains a major challenge.” He also highlighted the difficulties visually impaired individuals face in accessing public transportation and workplaces. “Mobility is a big challenge. However, with training and assistive technologies, we can perform our jobs independently.” Advocacy and Future Plans GOVI continues to advocate for policy change and inclusion. Among its top priorities is urging the Gambian government to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty, an international agreement allowing visually impaired persons to reproduce copyrighted works into accessible formats such as braille and audio without prior permission from authors. “This treaty will help us access educational and literary materials more easily,” Mr Colley explained. “We also plan to improve our school’s learning technology and build the capacity of teachers and rehabilitation workers.” He called for stronger implementation of the Disability Act, which he said remains in its early stages. “The Act is fine, but implementation is slow. We must prioritize certain areas and expand gradually.” A Call for Inclusion Colley’s message to all institutions and organisations was clear: inclusion must be intentional. “Every institution that provides public services should include persons with disabilities from the start of policy development to implementation,” he urged. He concluded with GOVI’s motto: “Together towards inclusion.” “Let’s not wait — we must be the champions of our own advocacy,” he said. “Together we are strong, and when we speak with one voice, our voice will be heard.