By Samuel Yaokumah
Akropong-Akuapem (E/R) 30, GNA – The Social Welfare and Community Development (SWCD) department in Akuapem North has distributed items and cash to People with Disabilities (PWDs) in the area as part of their share of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).
Ghana’s Disability Fund aims to build the capacity of persons with disabilities, particularly those outside of formal employment, to engage in livelihood generation activities to reduce poverty.
An amount of GH₵ 47,500.00 was disbursed, according to the SWCD, to support various businesses owned by PWDs, including hairdressers, barbers, artists, piggery farmers, and those involved in agriculture.
The funds are intended to help these entrepreneurs maximize their profits and improve their livelihoods.
Additionally, items disbursed to beneficiaries at the end of the programme included nine deep-freezers, one wheelchair, two-wheel barrows, two shovels, 40 plastic chairs, and two baking ovens for bread and pastries.
Welcoming the beneficiaries, Madam Angelina Nagatey, the Head of SWCD of the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly, said that it was one of the usual programmes to disburse items and incentives to a selected group of PWDs to set them up in various businesses to improve their livelihood.
She explained that the criteria for selection was not based on favouratism, cronyism and partisan bases.
Rather, the selection was based on registration and that beneficiaries were divided into groups, saying, “Once your name is in the register, it will get to your tern.”
She also said the only obvious challenge was that the funds allotted for disbursement could not cater for everyone, so it must be disbursed in tranches until everyone was covered.
She pointed out that in the meantime, there were three well established groups according to their record books which included the deaf, blind, and physically challenged so far.
She encouraged the albinos, hadro-cephalous and other smaller physically challenged groups to organize themselves appropriately to get enrolled into the process for support.
During the programme, a representative of the Akuapem North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) encouraged albinos, individuals with hydrocephalus, and other smaller physically challenged groups to organize themselves appropriately and register for support.
Mr. Samuel Adjinbaruk, the Deputy Coordinating Director of the Akuapem North Municipal Assembly, who stood in for MCE, urged the beneficiaries to share the “good news” with other people with disabilities and encourage them to register with the Social Welfare Department.
He also emphasized that disability was not inability and that people with disabilities should not compromise their self-esteem or seek sympathy for their condition.
Instead, they should strive to rise above their challenges through hard work and determination.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to put the items and incentives to effective use to improve their livelihood and benefit society.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, many of the beneficiaries expressed their excitement and gratitude for the support, saying the items and cash benefits would significantly improve their standard of living.
One beneficiary, Mr. Ebenezer Owusu, a young man, who had always dreamt of starting a piggery business, shared his story with the GNA.
He was unable to pursue his passion due to his physical disability and lack of financial support and resorted to begging for alms to survive.
However, with the support from the DACF scheme, he was now optimistic about his future and expressed the hope that the programme would be sustained so that others could also benefit from it.
GNA