Dr Ancha Jagne – A Woman With Ambition
Friday 24th March 2006

Women are doing extremely well to see to it that the society is conducive for all, as far as they (the woman) are the mothers to every mankind and a mother always want her children to have good and happy life, this is because they (the woman) are so patient, sympathetic and helpful for that matter.

Imagine a woman with great ambition who had never think of being selfish to others as she is really struggling to help her fellow Gambians, who is no one other than Dr. Ancha Jagne Ceesay a Gambian philanthropist, base in United Kingdom was born in Banjul, attended Albion school. Later to Wesley and Saint Joseph Secondary School, after that she took up teaching and also taught at leman street infant, Muhammedan School and Saint Augustine.

After few years she change her career to administration, she worked at Attorney General’s Chambers, then in 1967 she represented the Gambia on Trade Union from there, she went for further studies in England. When she graduated she worked in few hospitals in London, until her retirement. In this edition we brings the interview which she had with us, please read below:

SHE SHE: When did you plan to help this disable people?
Dr. Ancha: after my retirement. I was thinking what to do but something prompt me to help the sick ones. I joined the disability hackney.

SHE SHE: What is your post in this association?
Dr Ancha: I am the chairperson for hackney Africa and Caribbean Disability association.

SHE SHE: Where did you train on Disability programme?
Dr. Ancha: I was trained medically but later did disability equality education course, after that I started helping them voluntarily with the support of my husband and children.

SHE SHE: Why do you choose to help the Disables?
Dr Ancha: Because I can see that they are segregated in some ways and they were neither included nor empowered in many things, most of the time also they are discriminated and whatever able people do the disable cannot do it, this was why I decided to help them.

SHE SHE: what ways are you helping the disable?
Dr. Ancha: I help them by giving them advice and directed them to right channels. I also help them in their educational needs, health wise, social needs and many good things.

SHE SHE: Which year have you started to help this association?
Dr. Ancha: I started assisting them last year February, 2005.

SHE SHE: What are your aims and objectives to disable?
Dr. Ancha: My aims are to get equality for disable people and for people to accept them and empower them so that whatever able people are doing or can achieve disable in one way or the other can, as far as no man is perfect. Even being a new born baby or old can be a disability more than the people that are impaired.

SHE SHE: Can you tell me some constraints that you encounter?
Dr Ancha: the main constraint is discrimination and lack of funding sometimes.

SHE SHE: What are the achievements?
Dr Ancha is satisfaction for what am doing and also meeting other people in the communities e.g we met Dr Tamsir Mbowe SoS for health and discuses about the well being of the disable we also had meeting with SOS for Trade Edward Singhateh and I was honored a certificate with Edward by national union of disable youth (NUDY)

SHE SHE: As a married woman how do you cope with this voluntary work? Does it disturb your marriage affairs?
Dr Ancha: it has nothing to do with it as far as my husband, children and grandchildren are very supportive, because without them I will not be able to it alone.

SHE SHE: These disable, are they women alone?
Dr Ancha: No there are boys, girls youths and even children are among.

SHE SHE: Can you assure the Gambians that you will continue to support the disable?
Dr Ancha as long as am alive and healthy I will continue to help them.

SHE SHE: What advice to you for the general public?
Dr Ancha: My advice is that there is no comparism between Africa and Europe for disable people but with the help and support, financially materially they can make it in Europe because there, disable people have their freedom and they are better funded in most of the things they want, secondly the public in the Gambia to help Nuddy for accessible office because right now, where they are is not suitable and also to help them with transport facilities.

SHE SHE: What next do you have to say?
Dr Ancha: I would like to thank Disable president of the association and Pa Modou Faal of the Point News paper for their assistance.