Sadly, Omar was born blind and his father abandoned the family. May, who runs the Paper Recycling Skills Project, introduced him to GTS who sponsored him for some time, then the Dumbarton community took over the sponsorship.

He attends a GOVI school (a registered Gambian charity, Gambian Organisation for the Visually Impaired) for the blind but it is a 9km journey from his home, which is obviously not easy for him. It is the only such school in the Gambia. There is a school bus, but it was very unreliable and sometimes he just couldn't get there. The Dumbarton community pay D2500 a month (about £45 at the current rate) to cover his travel expenses and a daily lunch at school.

5 Top