GAMBIA FEDERATION OF THE DISABLED (GFD)
ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD) is an umbrella organisation that represents the disability sector and brings together all Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and People With Disabilities (PWDs) in The Gambia. GFD was formed by the Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and its history of formation dates back to the early 1990s. The purpose for its formation is to advocate for the promotion, protection and empowerment of PWDs and encourage, support and monitor activities done by stakeholders in the Disability sector that improve the living conditions of the Disabled.
Its membership currently totals to eight Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs), i.e., Gambia Association of the Physically Disabled (GAPD), Gambia Organisation of the Visually Impaired (GOVI), Gambia Association of the Deaf and Hard Of Hearing (GADHOH), National Union of the Disabled Youth (NUDY), Gambia Organisation for the Learning Difficulties (GOLD), Rural Support Organisation for the Disabled (RSOD), Association for the Mentally Disabled Gambians (AMDG) and Gambia National Paralympics Committee (GNPC).
In 2004, GFD carried out its SWOT analysis and participated in the DPO/VSO research that informed the design of the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) project ‘empowering people with disabilities in The Gambia’ which is currently being implemented by the DPO/VSO steering committee. The stakeholders in the Disability sector have given GFD the responsibility of implementing the advocacy work in the BLF project.
In the last five years, GFD has been undergoing Restructuring and Development Planning processes. Early 2008, GFD carried out a constitutional review and validation exercise, its AGM (which was officially opened by the SOS for Health and Social Welfare), elected new Board of Directors (BOD) who come from different professional backgrounds with experience in diverse disability issues. This presents a strong foundation for effective implementation of the organisation’s development programmes. The GFD Board is representative of all the DPOs.
The GFD has just concluded its Development Planning process that has produced salient out puts which include: a five year Strategic Plan (SP) that runs from 2009 – 2013 and an Organisational self assessment which produced GFD Organisational development plan (ODP) which will run up to June 2010. The SP and ODP are now informing the processes of developing an Advocacy and Fundraising strategies and Agenda.
Currently, GFD is actively participating in the development of the National Disability Policy, lobbying for the ratification of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and implementation of the African Decade Plan Action by The Gambia government. We also participated in the recently concluded 45th Ordinary Session of the African Commission (13th – 27th May 2009) and the DPO/VSO National Disability Research, 2008, which was validated nationally in March 2009.
ORGANISATIONAL PROFILE
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD) is an umbrella organisation that represents the disability sector and brings together all Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and People With Disabilities (PWDs) in The Gambia. GFD was formed by the Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and its history of formation dates back to the early 1990s. The purpose for its formation is to advocate for the promotion, protection and empowerment of PWDs and encourage, support and monitor activities done by stakeholders in the Disability sector that improve the living conditions of the Disabled.
Its membership currently totals to eight Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs), i.e., Gambia Association of the Physically Disabled (GAPD), Gambia Organisation of the Visually Impaired (GOVI), Gambia Association of the Deaf and Hard Of Hearing (GADHOH), National Union of the Disabled Youth (NUDY), Gambia Organisation for the Learning Difficulties (GOLD), Rural Support Organisation for the Disabled (RSOD), Association for the Mentally Disabled Gambians (AMDG) and Gambia National Paralympics Committee (GNPC).
In 2004, GFD carried out its SWOT analysis and participated in the DPO/VSO research that informed the design of the Big Lottery Fund (BLF) project ‘empowering people with disabilities in The Gambia’ which is currently being implemented by the DPO/VSO steering committee. The stakeholders in the Disability sector have given GFD the responsibility of implementing the advocacy work in the BLF project.
In the last five years, GFD has been undergoing Restructuring and Development Planning processes. Early 2008, GFD carried out a constitutional review and validation exercise, its AGM (which was officially opened by the SOS for Health and Social Welfare), elected new Board of Directors (BOD) who come from different professional backgrounds with experience in diverse disability issues. This presents a strong foundation for effective implementation of the organisation’s development programmes. The GFD Board is representative of all the DPOs.
The GFD has just concluded its Development Planning process that has produced salient out puts which include: a five year Strategic Plan (SP) that runs from 2009 – 2013 and an Organisational self assessment which produced GFD Organisational development plan (ODP) which will run up to June 2010. The SP and ODP are now informing the processes of developing an Advocacy and Fundraising strategies and Agenda.
Currently, GFD is actively participating in the development of the National Disability Policy, lobbying for the ratification of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and implementation of the African Decade Plan Action by The Gambia government. We also participated in the recently concluded 45th Ordinary Session of the African Commission (13th – 27th May 2009) and the DPO/VSO National Disability Research, 2008, which was validated nationally in March 2009.