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This proposal is an edited version of a
document prepared by the personnel of the Foundation for Disabled
People in Banjul, The Gambia. It describes their current work and
puts forward the case for further funding to enable them to continue
and expand their work. For more information about the Foundation,
please
see this page.
Project Title: Local Wheelchair
Fabrication in The Gambia - Update 2007
Background
The Foundation for Disabled People first
established wheelchair production in 2003 with the support of the
British High Commission in The Gambia. The Foundation was able to produced
30 tricycle wheelchairs that were distributed to needy citizens.
Since then the Foundation has been doing its best to maintain
production of wheelchairs for use by the hospital and people with
physical disabilities.
The Foundation also provides free services to
people with disabilities, such as free computer training, and
maintenance of damaged wheelchairs.
The Foundation has a memorandum of
understanding with the Gambian Department of State for Social
Welfare in providing social services according to the Gambian
Government policies on social services, The Foundation has a working
relationship with Banjul City Council, and to support their operation
they were given free premises to operate their workshop for wheelchair production and
computer training for disabled people.
Justification for the Project
Increased production of wheelchairs is
necessary to cope with ever increasing numbers of amputees and the
inflow of physically disabled persons from neighbouring countries to
settle in the Gambia. There is a need to produce wheelchairs
locally in developing countries because of the problems associated
with European or American designed wheelchairs, which can be
identified as follows:
Donated wheelchairs are usually not
appropriate for conditions in developing countries. Most imported
wheelchairs are based on American and European designs from the
mid-20th century for indoor home and institutional use. These
designs were not intended for outdoor use on unpaved terrain. They
break easily, but are not easily repaired because spare parts and
the equipment necessary to weld alloys are not usually available
locally.
There are no widely accepted appropriate
standards to ensure quality. With few exceptions, wheelchairs
donated or sold in developing countries do not meet uniform
standards. Those that do are based on standards designed for the
developed world, and these are not stringent enough to adequately
test chairs under the more rigorous conditions of use in developing
countries.
There are no prescription or fitting
standards. Donated and imported chairs are often "one size fits all"
and distributed without cushions or an appropriate seating
configuration. A wheelchair that is not properly fitted to the user,
or comes without a cushion, may increase the risk of secondary
conditions such as pressure sores (which are potentially lethal),
shoulder injuries, or spinal deformity. Inappropriate and
ill-fitting chairs do not provide any significant improvement to the
users' mobility, independence, or integration into their community.
The successful production of the first
locally made wheelchairs in 2003 proved that they are more durable,
cost effective and serviceable.
Access and mobility is of paramount
importance in movement from one place to another. With the
provisions of wheelchairs, disabled people will be able to get
involved in business activities and eliminate humiliating actions
like having to crawl. A wheelchair will enable them to be involved
in economic activities rather than begging on the street for a
livelihood.
Aims and Objectives
To discourage humiliating activities like
crawling.
To make access possible to disabled people at
an affordable price.
To enable disabled people to get involved in
economic activities through access to their respective business
ventures.
To train disabled people in bicycle and
wheelchair repair and maintenance.
To produce the tri-cycle wheelchair locally,
which is more cost-effective and longer lasting than using imported
wheelchairs.
To serve as a forum for people with
disabilities to work together as a team.
To reduced discrimination and stigmatisation.
To offer mobility to physically challenged
persons by access to affordable wheelchairs
Targets and Beneficiaries
- People with physical disabilities.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- The following mechanism is in place:
Stages in the Production of Wheelchairs
(Project Planning)
The production of wheelchairs is divided into different stages of
production which are handled by different experienced disabled
technicians:- draughtsman, welder, fitters, painters, tailors, etc.
The draughtsman produces drawings for the proposed wheelchair and
instructs the welder how it will look and the
positioning of the different stages for easy manoeuvring. The
draughtsman also inspects the construction at every stage to confirm that it was done to specification.
The welder's work is to build the wheelchair frame as
specified by the draughtsman.
The fitters' job is to organize the fitting of the spokes in the
wheels.
The painter's work is the last stage of the production. The work of the Tailor (Sewing Mistress)
is to coordinate the sewing of cushions for the wheelchair
seat.
Materials and Equipment for Fabrication
of 15 Wheelchairs
(the conversion to £ assumes 45 dalasis to £1
but at present the exchange rate is fluctuating wildly)
| Qty |
Items |
Unit
cost |
Total cost |
| |
|
Dalasis |
£ sterling |
| 20
Packets |
Welding
rod |
185.00 |
3,700.00 |
82.00 |
| 10 |
Steel
plate 1.5 (1X2) |
780.00 |
7,800.00 |
173.00 |
| 50 |
Chains |
40.00 |
2,000.00 |
44.00 |
| 50 |
Hubs |
45.00 |
2,250.00 |
55.00 |
| 5 dozen |
Spindles |
370.00 |
1,850.00 |
41.00 |
| 75 |
Spokes |
80.00 |
6,000.00 |
133.00 |
| 50 |
Cranks |
80.00 |
4,000.00 |
88.00 |
| 5 |
Plywood
1.2 |
435.00 |
2,175,00 |
48.00 |
| 75 |
Wheel
frame 26X 1 2/5 |
95.00 |
7,125.00 |
153.00 |
| 75 |
Outer
cover (tyre) 26X 1 2/5 |
95.00 |
7,125.00 |
153.00 |
| 75 |
Inner
tube 26X 1 2/5 |
40.00 |
3,000.00 |
66.00 |
| 50 |
Free
wheel |
60.00 |
3,000.00 |
66.00 |
| 50 |
Fuckles |
100.00 |
5,000.00 |
111.00 |
| 1 |
Grinding machine |
5,000.00 |
5,000.00 |
111.00 |
| 1 |
Drilling
machine |
2,500.00 |
2,500.00 |
55.00 |
| 25 |
Grinding
disc |
50.00 |
1,250.00 |
27.00 |
| 50 |
Cutting
disc |
45.00 |
2,250.00 |
55.00 |
| 2 |
2mm
Galvanised pipe |
250.00 |
500.00 |
11.00 |
| 2 |
3mm
Galvanised pipe |
450.00 |
900.00 |
20.00 |
| 100 |
ST.
20X20 X1.5 Pipe |
200.00 |
20,000.00 |
444.00 |
| 10 |
25X 4
Flat bar |
155.00 |
1,550.00 |
34.00 |
| 50 |
Hand
peddallers |
50.00 |
2,500.00 |
55.00 |
| 6 |
Vacuum
pump |
50.00 |
300.00 |
6.00 |
| 7 |
Blue
paint |
260.00 |
1,300.00 |
28.00 |
| 7 |
Red
oxide |
360.00 |
1,800.00 |
40.00 |
| 10 |
Diluant
(mixer) |
50.00 |
500.00 |
11.00 |
| 150 |
Nuts &
bolts |
10.00 |
1,500.00 |
33.00 |
|
Totals |
96,225.00 |
2143.00 |
Executed Projects
The Foundation has been involved in a series of developmental programs
to support persons with disabilities these are:-
-
Production of wheelchairs for physically
disabled people, sponsored by the British High Commission in
February 2003.
-
Raising awareness of disabled people about HIV/AIDS
pandemic, sponsored by
National AIDS Control in November 2004.
-
Raising awareness of women with disabilities on HIV/AIDS pandemic in Kanifing,
sponsored by Kanifing Municipal HIV/AIDS
committee in October 2005.
-
Workshop/campaign on disabled people's and women's rights, sponsored by
African Centre for Democracy and Human rights Studies December 2005.
-
National Job Fair for Differently Abled Persons,
sponsored by
National AIDS Secretariat Banjul, December 2005.
-
Production of 20 wheelchairs, sponsored by Yaya Jammeh Foundation
For Peace.
-
Provision of Free Computer Training for people with disabilities
from 2003 up to present.
Contact details for sponsors of these
projects
-
British High Commission, 48 Atlantic Road,
Fajara, PO Box 507, The Gambia, Tel (+220) 4495133
-
National AIDS Secretariat, The Gambia,
Tel (+220) 4224674,
Contact Person - Lamin Camara
-
African Centre For Democracy And Human Rights Studies.
Tel
(+220) 4462341, 4462342 9941896
Mrs Mary Small Program Director
-
Yaya Jammeh Foundation for Peace.
Tel (+220) 9966675
Organization
The Foundation for Disabled People, The Gambia, have the following
personnel managing the to day running of the Foundation;
Board of Directors,
Project Advisory Committee,
Executive Director,
Treasurer,
Project Coordinator,
Secretary,
Messenger,
Technicians.
Acknowledgement
If this program is sponsored by your organization, FFDP will
acknowledge your Institution with a Letter of Appreciation and Press
coverage.
Recommendation
It is recommended that this proposal is read and deliberated upon by
your institution to ascertain its viability and workability in a bid
to provide mobility for physically challenged people and
training to fabricate wheelchairs in the Gambia.
Contact Details for the Foundation for
Disabled People
By Post - No 14 Old Primet Street, P.
O. Box 410 Banjul, The Gambia. West Africa
By phone - (+220) 4228978, 7708568, 9908229
By email - foundationfordisabledpeople@hotmail.com
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