By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Navrongo (U/E), July 12, GNA – Some persons with hearing impairments in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region have received education on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
This was to equip them with accurate information regarding their sexuality and to enable them to make informed decisions as well as fight against sexual abuse and exploitation, unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections among others.
They were also trained in leadership skills and empowered to advocate for the protection of their rights and policy directions that would inure to their development.
It was organised by the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Department of the Social Welfare and Community Development under the auspices of the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly in collaboration with Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD).
Mr Joseph Adongo, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Chief Executive, explained that the Assembly was concerned about issues affecting the growth and development of the vulnerable, especially persons with disabilities.
As a result, the Assembly had always disbursed the disability fund of the District Assemblies Common Fund and supported many of them to venture into income generating activities that would help them to become economically independent and live dignified lives, he said.
“Last year and this year, we have been able to serve up 60 beneficiaries who have taken money to go into income generating activities,” he said.
“Apart from that constantly, we are also paying school fees for people with disabilities at the basic and university level and we also sensitise them to be confident in whatever they do and that they have the ability to succeed like anyone”.
Ms Rosemary Awiah, the Social Development Officer, Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly, explained that sexual and reproductive health education was key to the growth and development of all persons, especially young people, however, persons with hearing impairement were not often deliberately targeted.
She explained that due to communication barrier as a result of the lack of sign language interpreters at sexual and reproductive health education programmes, persons with hearing impairments were often left out.
This, she said, often led to them making wrong decisions that prevent them from accessing the needed sexual and reproductive health and rights services especially at the healthcare facilities.
They were also not able to defend their rights from abusers.
It was against this backdrop that, she said, the Assembly organised the engagement to build the capacities of the hearing impaired to ensure that they can access accurate services relating to their sexuality and to help fight against any abuse.
“The Assembly and government as a whole have not left persons with disability out because right from our planning from the community level to the office in Accra, issues of disability are being included in our annual action plans to advocate for the vulnerable,” she added.
Mr Sumani Bapio Ibrahim, a Disability Right and Youth Right Advocate, who took the participants through leadership skills training, advised the hearing impaired not to allow their disabilities to prevent them from making positive impact and building themselves.
Ms Ida Dambayi, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal President of GNAD, thanked the Assembly for the training and noted that the engagement had informed them about their sexual life and where they could seek for accurate services and appealed for more of such programmes to empower them.
GNA