Seventeen persons with disability in the Oforikrom Municipality have received support worth sixty two thousand two hundred and ninety one Cedis (GHc62, 291.00) as their share of the District Assembly Common Fund.
The beneficiaries received funds for school fees and medical bills as well as livelihood empowerment gadgets comprising refrigerators with fridge guards, industrial sowing machines, knitting machines and a shoe making container.
The differently abled persons included the physically challenged, parents of special children, the hearing and visually impaired; stammers and burns survivors.
7,910.00 out of the total figure was used to support PWD organisations as part of the guidelines for disbursing the fund.
MCE’s Encouragement
Speaking at a short ceremony to disburse the support, Municipal Chief Executive Abraham Antwi asked the beneficiaries to celebrate their worth, pointing to a knitted clothing beautifully done by one of the beneficiaries.
Abraham Antwi inspired the beneficiaries to be self-motivated in putting their talents and learnt vocations to good use disregarding any thoughts of discouragement.
“There are some persons we trained in bread baking, liquid soap making and fresh yoghurt and we are proud many have shown signs of success. These things they have been given is not for domestic use. It’s supposed to be put to commercial use, to help you earn a living,” he advised.
Inadequate Funds
Head of the Social Welfare and Community Development Department at the Oforikrom Municipal Assembly; Mary Serwaa Adjen explained that the department prioritized education, medical bills, income generation and provision of assistive devices per guidelines standardized for needs assessment and disbursement of the fund.
She expressed worry, though the assembly had registered some three hundred and eighty persons with disability in the municipality, the assembly was woefully constrained by the inadequacy of the 3% fund allocation coupled with the irregular and delayed releases from government.
“Just three percent of the funds is woefully inadequate and another thing is that it is not regular. This one we disbursed is for last year so we have a lot of challenges when they come around and we cannot just help,” she bemoaned.
Mary Adjen requested the state to consider an upward review of the 3% share of the district Assembly Common Fund allotted for persons with disability giving the sheer numbers and range of needs submitted to social welfare offices across the country.
“Our hands are tied as far as the funds are concerned. I believe that government has its own challenges but if they could increase the percentage, I think it can do something.
Commending Non-Governmental Organizations and philanthropists for their support to PWDs, Mary Adjen made a call to communities and residents to endeavor to approach the assembly with their widow’s might, to augment the meagre funds provided by the state to support the less privileged and vulnerable.
She singled out for praise, Not for Profit Organization Noble Impact which donated two thousand Cedis (Ghc2000 (to enroll a child with autism into the Garden City Special School.
Beneficiaries
Some of the beneficiaries shared their experiences and expressed gratitude for the support.
Desmond Awuah Brobey a recipient of a knitting machine was elated the intervention would help him create fascinating designs to increase his earnings.
The youth who knitted a shirt on display, further challenged the disability community to eschew fear and discouragements and rather reach out for support to live meaningful and productive lives.
A beneficiary Anita Duku who took home a refrigerator told reporter Ivan Heathcote – Fumador the support will boost her water and iced block sales business.
“I make these blocks for funerals and other community functions. It is what I used to take my children through school. This deep freezer encourages me to do more,” she indicated.
Aside the beneficiaries, the function to disburse this support was attended by assembly members of the Oforikrom Municipality, officials from the Assembly and leaders of the PWD community.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ivan Heathcote – Fumador
