Members of Social Security, The Staff and Students of St John’s School For The Deaf
By Fatou Sillah
The Corporate Affairs Department of the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) recently held a sensitization session for the staff and students of St. John’s School for the Deaf.
This initiative is part of SSHFC’s continued efforts to raise awareness about social security matters.
The session provided important information on the pension system, the benefits of social security, and the importance of contributing to security services before and after retirement. It aimed to ensure that both staff and students of the school are well-informed about these crucial services.
SSHFC, established by an Act of Parliament in 1981, is tasked with providing social protection to all Gambians and offering affordable housing options.
Famara Fofana, Senior Corporate Affairs Manager at SSHFC, emphasized the importance of this session, noting that students and staff of St. John’s School for the Deaf have equal rights and privileges as every other Gambian. He reiterated SSHFC’s commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that no one is left behind.
“This exercise is very important; it is all part of inclusion, not leaving anyone behind. We know that these people are disadvantaged because they are hard of hearing. How often do they get to hear radio sessions, or how often do they get to meet with David and his team? So it is us who initiated this move by writing to them,” he said.
David DL Mendy, Corporate Affairs Manager, reflected on the session, expressing the valuable lessons he gained through interactions with the students and staff. He encouraged the school to officially register with Social Security to enhance their access to the benefits provided by the corporation.
“My take-home is to make sure that St. John’s School for the Deaf is covered by Social Security because they are not yet registered with Social Security. They have known Gambians who are working because it is a subvention school, so most of their teachers don’t know which scheme they should belong to, so we will try to work with them to see how best some of their doubts are answered,” He Said.
Babucarr Gaye, Vice Principal of St. John’s School for the Deaf, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the SSHFC team, noting that it was the first time such a session had been conducted at the school.