By Evans Donkoh, GNA
Odumase (B/R),
Aug. 22, GNA – The Sunyani West District Assembly has presented start-up
capital to 27 people with disabilities (PWDs) within the District to engage in
various business activities that would enhance their socio-economic
livelihoods.
The items
included refrigerators, wheel barrows, shovels, pickaxes, machetes, mobile
phone battery charging machines, plastic chairs and fufu pounding machines, depending
on individual’s needs and request made to the Assembly.
Some of the
beneficiaries also received undisclosed sums of monies to undertake various
ventures such as education, healthcare and business expansion.
The funding was
from the three per cent of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) allocated
to PWDs and the beneficiaries were selected based on recommendation from the
District branch of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFDs).
Mr Martin
Obeng, the District Chief Executive (DCE), prior to the presentation ceremony
explained that the support was different from the previous years where
beneficiaries received paltry sums of money, which most of them could not use
for the intended purpose.
He said this
year’s support spelt out the criteria for disbursement which is in line with
the government’s agenda of job creation, poverty alleviation and economic
empowerment for PWDs.
Mr Obeng urged
the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the packages to entice their fellows
who were unwilling to join the GFDs to come on board.
Mr Isaac
Owusu-Ansah, a beneficiary, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed their
gratitude to the Assembly and the government for the support and stated that
the packages would help to improve their family lives and lessen their
predicaments.
He advised
other PWDs asking for alms on the streets to be part of “this initiative
because alms begging is a crime in Ghana”.
Mr Anthony
Kuu-Inle, a Social Welfare Officer in the District, told the Ghana News Agency
in an interview that his office would undertake regular supervision and
monitoring to ensure that the beneficiaries use the packages as intended.
GNA
