Ambassador Wells visits the foundation for disabled people

Ambassador Wells (center) surrounded by journalists as he speaks to Mr. Kenny, the Executive Director of FFDP

On Thursday, April 9, 2009 Ambassador Barry L. Wells visited the Foundation for Disabled People (FFDP) in the Capital to inspect the production of wheelchairs funded through the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program of the embassy.  In delivering his welcoming remarks, Opesan Gabriel Kenny, the executive director of FFDP, described the donation as a true demonstration of the embassy’s closeness to people at grassroots level and that direct beneficiaries will be the disabled people in Brikama, some 35km from the capital. Delivering his speech, Ambassador Barry L. Wells seized the opportunity to emphasize the respect the US has for disabled persons and emphasized that disabled persons need to be given opportunities to be productive citizens who will contribute to the socio-economic development of their country.

The site visit continues to demonstrate USG support for local economic development initiatives.  SSH is our most successful program in the Gambia, enabling us to meet real needs at the village level in The Gambia.  The ceremony received extensive coverage in all the major newspapers.