Community Challenge Youth Empowerment (CCYE) is a Non-Profit Organisation that caters for people with disabilities in Westbury as well as the surrounding areas. Faeeza Davids said that they have now celebrated their seventh annual event. Seven years ago, the event started with only 20 disabled and special needs children.
Like most events growth is imperative, Davids said that they are growing and have now catered for more than 250 disabled and special needs children, their family members as well as adults with disabilities and special needs. Davids said, “We have blind, physical, down syndrome, deaf, mental and slow learners in the group. Growing bigger in our society is for those without a disability to respect, accept and socialize with the disabled and not criticize our disabled children and adults, we must all unite as one.”
She continued by saying that more disability awareness campaigns in communities should lead to people being more aware and educated on the concept of who people with disabilities are and what they experience with their misfortune.
She said, “You don’t have to be born with a disability but can have any kind of accident to be disabled. We have a disabled support group at the Westbury Recreation Centre, every Thursday.” She also added that these groups are filled with support and are very informative because of the great teamwork.
She continued, “Thank you to the Almighty and the team who made all this possible on December 15. Each child walked out of Coronationville hall with a gift whether their names were on the list or not. I feel sad for the children whose names were on the list but did not attend the event.” She said that in future, with the mercy of the Almighty, to avoid disappointment, it would be wise to submit names at an early stage.
Davids concluded, “My passion for the physically disabled started when my daughter at the age of nine years fell ill and ended up disabled and wheelchair bound. All of this is in memory of my daughter, may her soul rest in peace as she passed away in 2016. Her footprints will stay in the sand of Westbury and the surrounding areas.”
