The Government of Ghana’s commitment in economically empowering Persons Living with Disabilities has set up the Disability Common Fund to support Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The Disability Common Fund, which is currently 3% allocation of the District Assembly Common Fund, seeks to support income generating activities as a means of empowering PWDs economically, provide educational support as well as health care support in order to improve the living conditions of PWDs. In view of this, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly through the Social Welfare & Community Development Department on Wednesday, 21st July 2021, presented assorted items to some PWDs in the municipality.
The items presented to the PWDs , included ten (10) 300 litres deep freezers, two hundred (200) assorted soft drinks together with one hundred (100) bottles of water and one hundred (100) bags of sachet water. The deep freezers as requested by the applicants were purchased for the beneficiaries to cool and freeze the soft drinks and water for sale to make them self-reliant and also contribute meaningfully to national development.
A total number of ten (10) persons with various forms of disabilities comprising of eight (8) females and two (2) males benefited from this gesture. The beneficiaries lauded the assembly for the social intervention and advised other PWDs to embrace the opportunity in order to improve their own livelihood.
During the presentation, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Isaac Buabeng stated that, government’s interest in economically empowering the disabled, took the initiative to purchase various items requested by the PWDs themselves to venture into any income generating activities of their choice rather than providing physical cash to them. He made it known to the public that all disabled persons within the Municipality should register with the Social Welfare & Community Development Department, and then put in an application for support indicating the items they want. The applications will go through the necessary social enquiry and vetting to ascertain whether the applicants are in need of the items requested. Hon. Buabeng, pleaded with NGOs and philanthropists to also assist in helping improve the lives of PWDs since the government cannot cater for all.
In a short address, the Chairman of the Social Services Sub-Committee, Hon. Akyea Larbi, also urged the beneficiaries to put the items into very good use and re-invest their proceeds back into their business. Hon. Larbi explained that the presentation is to empower the beneficiaries, that is, PWDs, financially, improve their livelihood and enhance their social image as well. This will help stop the disabled from begging for alms on the streets.
In an address by the Municipal Head of the Social Welfare & Community Development Department, Madam Christiana Tamakloe, she made mention that, the Disability Common Fund (DCF) is a social protection program aimed at alleviating poverty among persons with disabilities in Ghana. And as stipulated in the Disability Act 715, government has a responsibility to support PWDs and this gesture forms part of government’s responsibility. The gesture, according to Madam Tamakloe, will help in reducing poverty and hardship among PWDs especially those in the informal sector as well as enhance their standard of living by serving as a means of income. She also stressed that all NGOs dealing with PWDs and philanthropists who have empathy for disabled persons should all come to their aid. Madam Tamakloe charged the beneficiaries to use the items judiciously and urged them to put it into.
