Takoradi, Jan. 17, GNA-Madam Constance Baiden, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Director of the Department of Social welfare and Community Development has landed Government’s support for Persons With Disability (PWDs) saying it was impacting lives.
According to her, many PWDs had been able to establish businesses and were doing well because of the support they received from the Government under the District Assembly common fund.
This, she indicated had eliminated more PWDs, especially children from the streets except for few recalcitrant ones.
Madam Baiden made the observation when they distributed assorted items to some PWDs in the Metropolis on Monday.
In all, about 25 PWDs in the Metropolis received both cash and items ranging from provisions, refrigerators, fufu pounding machines, plastic chairs, and Computer laptops among others to support their businesses.
The items amounted to GHS58,000.
“A lot of them are doing petty trading using the items we give them. So to a large extent, I will say the support has been successful and the beneficiaries are seeing the impacts in their lives”, Madam Baiden said.
“It is only a few recalcitrant disabled who are on the streets, but most of them are doing well with the support with the support we are giving them”, she added.
Madam Baiden mentioned that seven of the beneficiaries were children and indicated that the support had helped many children with disability to go back to school with some even at the tertiary levels.
To ensure that the beneficiaries used the items for the intended purpose, she said the Social welfare had intensified its monitoring schemes to include pre- monitoring.
This, she said would helped eliminate the situation, where people received the items and in turn sell or people who did not really need the items received them at the expense of those who needed them.
“Majority of them have been using the items well to their benefit and that of their families”, she added.
She, however, appealed to the beneficiaries to use the items received for the intended purpose to improve upon their lives.
Mr Abdul Mumin Issah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) said the items were procured based on the request of the beneficiaries and expressed the hope that the support would go a long way to improve on their living conditions.
He said the donation formed part of the Government’s efforts to make life comfortable to PWDs in the country.
The MCE expressed gratitude to the Government and advised the beneficiaries to use the items to improve on their businesses and to improve their lives.
Madam Esther Efua Ansah, a beneficiary who had been receiving the Common Fund support for the past five years, recounted how the support had been useful in her life.
She said she was able to set up a provisions store, to support her family and implored other beneficiaries to make good use of the items.
Another beneficiary, Madam Sarah Lafia, a second hand clothes dealer, advised her colleagues not to allow their abled family members to take the items from them, but take charge to earn a living out of it.
She also recounted how beneficial the support had been for her and in taking care of herself and two grandchildren under her care.
GNA