By D.I. Laary
Accra, Dec. 08, GNA – Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has hailed the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation (HDMF) Endowment Fund as a vital initiative toward inclusive development, urging national support to empower persons with disabilities, vulnerable girls, and women.
Mr Kufuor, at the national initiative launch, described the Fund as a significant contribution in the nation’s journey towards inclusivity and equal opportunity.
He called for the full implementation of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715), and the Affirmative Action Bill, stressing that legislation alone was not enough and that “We need practical enforcement, budgetary commitment, and societal support.”
Mr Kufuor urged all Ghanaians to “sow a seed today” and invest in building an inclusive, equitable, and just society by supporting the Endowment Fund to adequately assist vulnerable women, girls, and persons with disabilities.
Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba, the Founder and Executive Director of HDMF, explained that the Fund was designed to provide sustainable financing for education, skills training, assistive technologies, and economic empowerment.
“We are not just launching a Fund, but a revolution of inclusion, equality and empowerment,” she said.
The launch of the endowment fund marked a milestone in HDMF’s seven-year journey of advocacy and resilience, and celebrated the legacy of the late Henry Kwadwo Djaba, whose life of perseverance inspired the Foundation’s mission.
Madam Djaba, also a former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, emphasised that the Fund represented “a revolution of inclusion, equality, and empowerment,” urging stakeholders to invest in sustainable impact for vulnerable communities.
She said since its establishment in 2018, HDMF had spearheaded initiatives that had reshaped disability and gender advocacy in Ghana and that with its flagship “Let’s Talk Ability Show,” it brought disability issues into homes nationwide, despite initial financial constraints.
The Foundation later secured sponsorship from Ghana National Gas Company, which funded 28 episodes and donated 200 wheelchairs toward a campaign to mobilise 1,000 assistive devices.
“This is what inclusion looks like, it’s not tokenism, but it is transformation,” Madam Djaba said.
She stated that HDMF had also trained 120 women and persons with disabilities to contest district assembly elections, with 20 emerging victorious across seven regions.
Again, in partnership with philanthropists and MASLOC, the Foundation facilitated soft loans for 118 members to start businesses.
Madam Djaba said it was the collaborations with UNFPA, Access Bank, and GNPC that birthed the annual Ability Fair, a marketplace showcasing talents and products of Persons living with disabilities.
She stated that the Foundation’s reach expanded further with the establishment of the Henry Djaba Centre for Ideas and Knowledge at Somanya, supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The Centre now served as a hub for livelihood skills training and HDMF’s head office.
STAR-Ghana and WACSI had also strengthened the Foundation’s institutional capacity, enabling operations in 28 communities in Yilo Krobo.
The launch applauded the dedication of HDMF’s board members, individual philanthropists, and corporate partners whose contributions have sustained the organisation through turbulent times.
The Founder called on stakeholders to “dare to join us, as we break chains, shatter ceilings, and build communities where everyone rises together.”
Professor Augustina Naami, the Board Chair, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana and a wheelchair user, praised the HDMF for launching the initiative and called for a comprehensive national disability inclusion strategy.
“We have the laws, but we lack the systems to make them work,” she said. “Inclusion is not a favour. It is a right.”
Dr Afisah Zakariah of the Ministry of Gender reaffirmed government’s commitment to protecting the rights of PWDs and promoting inclusive development, noting that the National Disability Mainstreaming Strategy (2023–2027) was being finalised.
She acknowledged delays in passing the Affirmative Action Bill but assured that efforts were underway to secure its passage.
The HDMF Endowment Fund was expected to support over 5,000 beneficiaries across Ghana within five years.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo