By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Adaklu Waya (V/R), Jan. 26 – The Adaklu District Assembly and the Social Welfare Department have presented 44 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the with start-up items.
The items, worth GHC 136,313, include Cassava graters, wellington boots, cutlasses, provisions, electric irons, weedicides, barbed wires, knapsack machines, and cash were to help the beneficiaries to be self-dependent.
Miss Delight Klu, 24, a hearing impaired student of Pantang Nurses Training College received a hearing aid worth GHC 12,000 to aid her in her academic work.
Twenty-five of the beneficiaries were men whilst 19 were females.
Out of the number, four were into animal husbandry, 16 were into farming, 10 were into trading while four were into health.
The rest were seven artisans, two students (education), and one PWDs Union/Group activity.
They were also given an undisclosed amount of money each as capital.
Madam Juliana Kpedekpo, Adaklu District Chief Executive, speaking at the ceremony at Adaklu Waya, said the items were to equip the beneficiaries with skills to implement their projects and programmes.
She said it was also to build their capacities to become independent and self-reliant and not to be sold except those were into trading.
“This social intervention package will go a long way to cushion our unfortunate brothers and sisters and make life worth living for them,” she said.
The DCE said government would not discriminate but continue to work hard and share the national cake equitably.
She pledged the Assembly’s preparedness to always use the three percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund, which was the Disability Fund, for its intended purpose.
Mrs Susan Akortia, Adaklu District Director of the Department of Social Welfare, told the beneficiaries that a monitoring team would randomly assess their progress.
She noted that 646 PWDs, made up of 338 males and 308 females, had registered with the Department in the district and assured that they were grouped in batches and that another set of beneficiaries would be attended to when the next fund was released
“The selection was not done on any political consideration,” she addled
Mr. Samuel Atormi Dorfe, Chairman of the Disability Fund Management Committee of the Assembly, said the Assembly decided to supply the items because the beneficiaries had misapplied monies given to them.
Mr. Sampson Gakpo, Presiding Member of the Assembly, reminded the beneficiaries that disability was not a setback so they should use the little given to them judiciously.
Mr. Seth Shapper, Adaklu Constituency chairman of the New Patriotic Party, also said with a little determination they could improve on their lives, adding that disability was not inability
Mr. Sampson Abornu, Chairman of PLWDs in the district, lauded government for the initiative but appealed for the early release of the funds to enable as many people as possible to benefit from it.
GNA