Government reportedly commits to donating funds for extension of Abilities Unlimited in Goodwill

​The government of Dominica has reportedly given a commitment to contribute financially towards the extension of Abilities Unlimited, located on Federation Drive in Goodwill.
 
Abilities Unlimited was formerly known as the ‘Workshop for the Blind’, which started in October 1964. It provided persons who are blind with the opportunity to learn to make handcrafted items.
 
It opened its doors to students and young adults who had differently abilities, over the past years. The items they produce include baskets, table mats, fans and trays for office files.
 
Board Chairman Ainsworth Irish says the current premises were constructed with assistance from the Lions Club of Dominica. He added, “We been here Since then. The building, as you can see, is a bit small now in terms of space for our products.” Irish made that remark during the President of Dominica’s Annual Christmas visit to the organization, on Friday 25th November 2016.
 
He noted that about a month, ago Prime Minister Skerrit sent one of his special envoys to have a look at the Abilities Unlimited office. He added “From what I understand, an estimate was done which showed that we require in excess of $150,000, to expand and do some retrofitting. So we will have some work being done here”.
 
Dominica’s President Charles Savarin welcomed the news that government had given a commitment to assist with retrofitting and expanding the facility, because the organization has grown. He added, “And hopefully you will continue to grow, that is to say, the output, and as the market grows, so too hopefully, your output will grow to meet the market demand, and of course, the more that happens, the better the returns, and the greater the benefits to those who work here”.