 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
casa101
Canada
17 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Apr 2009 : 19:36:06
|
Gibraltar Regiment create playground for deaf Gambian kids
8 Apr 09
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/GibraltarRegimentCreatePlaygroundForDeafGambianKids.htm
A British Corporal has led a team of Gambian engineers to create a playground haven for around 40 children, all of whom have severe hearing difficulties.
Corporal Ronnie Wallace with some of the children from the School for the Gambian Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Latrikunda, Sabiji
[Picture: Cpl Ralph Merry ABIPP RAF]
The new children's playground has been developed at the national learning centre for Gambia's Association for the Deaf by Corporal Ronnie Wallace of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG).
Cpl Wallace has been coming to Gambia for the last five years with the RG's Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) who help develop the infantry and paramilitary skills needed by Gambian troops on peace support operations.
Leading a team of local soldiers, Cpl Wallace transformed a patch of bare red earth into an exciting play area. In a matter of days he designed and built see-saws, swings, spring-seats, a toy train, a rope slide, a multi-activity complex - and even a 'chill-out' pavilion. Everything was made from locally-resourced raw materials so all the playground equipment fits perfectly into its surroundings.
Cpl Wallace said:
"It was the High Commission's idea that we should work at a school for the hearing-impaired and for me that is very significant. My own daughter is almost deaf so I really wanted to do everything here to the very best of my ability.
A child from the School for the Gambian Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing enjoying the fruits of Corporal Wallace's labour
[Picture: Cpl Ralph Merry ABIPP RAF]
"We went to the local forest to buy the timber straight from the woodcutters and we got most of the metal parts, such as car springs, from a local scrap yard. And although raw materials tend to be expensive in the Gambia, this has been a very low cost project. For instance, making each spring-seat has cost about £10 - about one-tenth of the price to buy them ready-made."
The total cost of the whole playpark was about £1,000.
The British High Commissioner in the Gambia, Mr Phil Sinkinson, attended the opening ceremony of the playground and heaped praise on Cpl Wallace:
"Every year, he comes up with new ideas. He has tremendous man-management skills and he leads a team of twenty Gambian engineers with tremendous skill. I think that Ronnie Wallace is fantastic."
Throughout the work, the Gambian engineers, led by Sergeant Nyang Momotu, became as enthusiastic as Ronnie himself. Much of the work was carried out using the most basic of tools and many of the frames needed holes two feet (61cm) deep to be dug into the ground so that the timber bases could be encased in concrete.
Corporal Ronnie Wallace working on the playground for the School of the Gambian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
[Picture: Cpl Ralph Merry ABIPP RAF]
Each of these 60 holes were dug by hand in temperatures of around 40 degrees and yet, from bare earth to opening ceremony the playground took little over two weeks to build. Sgt Momotu said:
"Corporal Wallace leads us by setting a fine example. He is so totally committed and enthusiastic. We learned a lot from him and we soon realised that this job wasn't too difficult for us. We'd now like to build a playground at our barracks for the children in our own families."
A similar theme was taken up by the Director of the Learning Centre, Mr Dodou Loum who is himself deaf. Helped by a sign-language interpreter he said:
"Corporal Wallace has built this playground from local materials so I'm sure that villages in the area can see that they can copy it."
Mr Loum has also decided to allow children from the surrounding area to use the playground at weekends.
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment's Commanding Officer, Lt Col John Perez said:
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment in The Gambia as the British Military Advisory Training Team
[Picture: Cpl Ralph Merry ABIPP RAF]
"Corporal Wallace deserves every credit for what he has achieved here. I'm really impressed with how he has managed to get the Gambian Armed Forces to work in the local community. It is all extremely touching."
While the main aim of the BMATT is to train the Gambians in infantry and paramilitary skills, several other training packages are also provided.
Thanks to the work of the RG in Gambia, the country's Armed Forces are now working at the Force Headquarters in Darfur. Originally their task was merely to defend the Headquarters compound, but their talents were quickly recognised and they are now being deployed on tasks within the headquarters itself.
As a result, each BMATT training course now contains a specialist 'Ops Room Course' for clerks, communications specialists and military policemen.
Spread over many miles of Gambian bush the Royal Gibraltar Regiment's soldiers are training a total of 400 infantrymen, 55 Force HQ soldiers, over 30 bandsmen and 11 vehicle mechanics.
|
|
|
Eve
Gambia
344 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2009 : 21:18:44
|
| good |
gambian |
 |
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
© 2005-2024 Nijii |
|
|
|
Topic Locked
