Building our own center!

Small Steps 2 Success wants to realize its own center for (young) adults with disabilities where they can meet for peer contact, training and work. A place where they can feel at home and can be who they are! Step by step towards a real job, so that people with disabilities can fully participate in Gambian society!

The goals of the center

  1. To offer people with disabilities the opportunity to meet and exchange experiences (peer contact).
  2. To offer trainings, for example:
    • Sewing. Designing and sewing clothes.
    • Personal care. Here you should think of hair care, makeup and nail care.
    • Making cement blocks, intended for sale.
    • Growing fruits and vegetables. Knowledge of growing, fertilization, pesticides.
    • Chicken farm. Keeping chickens for sale of eggs and meat.
    • Cooking & Restaurant. The center will have its own kitchen and restaurant. The aim is to promote interaction between people with and without disabilities.
    • Economics. Basic knowledge of business start-up, buying and selling, profits and investments. Required for people who start their own business with micro credit.
    • Tie & Dye. A dyeing technique where clothing is dyed in the traditional way.
  1. Within the center, people with disabilities can practice their profession or can start their own business with a micro credit from the foundation.
  2. Day care is offered for people with disabilities who are unable to practice a profession independently.
  3. Offering workshops on practical issues that people with disabilities encounter. These include education on opening bank accounts, how to travel by public transport, etc.

What will the center look like?

Small Steps 2 Success has access to a 35 x 35m piece of land. The land is 50 meters away from the highway between Sanyang and Tanji and is just outside Tujereng. On the land, a 12-meter diameter round building will serve as a restaurant, meeting and training space. Around it will be small workshops and stores where home-made or home-grown products will be sold. The office, restrooms and kitchen will also be located here. Also planned are two guest rooms, a room for the watchman and a room for storing materials.

On the grounds themselves, a section will be reserved for outdoor training.

A design of the building plan will be uploaded here soon.

What have we done so far?

After discussions with the Wilde Ganzen, we started the first trainings in 2024 at a rented location, the community center in Tujereng.

March 24: start training Hairdressing & Make-Up.

June 24: start of training in Tailoring.

October 24: purchase of land by sponsor & cooperation with Wilde Ganzen to support trainings.

Who will build it?

Small Steps 2 Success is currently in discussions with several contractors. Where possible we will involve people with disabilities in the construction, all under supervision of course. We also find it important to involve the local community of Tujereng in the realization of our center. After all, the center will become part of the village of Tujereng. The VDC (City Council) is very positive about all plans and has promised its cooperation. So we can count on broad support!

Small Steps 2 Success Foundation seeks financial support

The construction of our own center will be done in phases. We will start by preparing the land for building, i.e. removing all the weeds and demolishing the existing building on the land. The debris from this will be used in the construction of the foundation. Next, we will get to work on the fence. This will consist of an underlayment of cement blocks topped with iron fencing. When this is finished, we will construct the borehole and septic tank. Immediately after the rainy season, the road to the center will also be repaired.

The cost of the borehole with associated solar is estimated at € 3,000.00. Sponsors and donors can contribute financially for this if they wish. This can be done via the following QR code. Thank you very much!

Follow all developments here!