The Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly has supported 51 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) with business equipment and financial assistance under the government’s Disability Fund, with a commitment to extend the initiative to all registered beneficiaries in the municipality by the end of the year.
The support, which marked the assembly’s 10th disbursement under the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), included deep freezers, industrial sewing machines, popcorn machines, industrial washing machines, poly tanks, wheelchairs and cash grants for business start-ups, medical expenses and education.
Addressing beneficiaries in Accra on Wednesday, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso East, Mr Baba Jamal, commended President John Dramani Mahama for increasing the allocation to the Disability Fund from three to five per cent of the DACF.
He described the increase as a significant step towards promoting economic inclusion and improving the livelihoods of PWDs.
Mr Jamal said although 51 beneficiaries had received support under the latest disbursement, the assembly remained committed to reaching all registered PWDs in the municipality.
“We have more than 200 persons with disabilities in the Ayawaso East Municipality, and we intend to cover all of them before the end of this year,” he emphasised.
He disclosed that the assembly, in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department, had started a fresh needs assessment to identify additional beneficiaries ahead of the next phase of disbursement, expected between October and November this year.
Mr Jamal urged managers of the fund to ensure that resources were distributed fairly, promptly and according to the specific needs of beneficiaries.
He also appealed to the public to continue showing compassion and support to vulnerable persons in society.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Ibrahim Ganiyu, explained that beneficiaries were selected through a thorough verification process conducted by the Municipal Social Welfare Committee.
He said officers visited the homes of applicants to assess their living conditions and business needs, collected relevant information and photographs, and submitted their findings to management for approval before the items were provided.
Mr Ganiyu continued that the increased allocation to the Disability Fund would enable the assembly to clear the backlog of applications and extend support to more PWDs across the municipality.
The Municipal Social Welfare Officer, Ms Lydia Winifred, reminded beneficiaries that the main objective of the programme was to promote long-term economic empowerment.
She advised them against selling the equipment for immediate financial benefit, noting that many previous beneficiaries had built successful businesses through the proper use of similar support.
The National Coordinator of the National Council on Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Mr Joshua Addy, commended the assembly for the initiative, stressing that access to livelihood support was essential to promoting independent living among PWDs.
He indicated that in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles, persons with disabilities could make meaningful contributions to national development when given equal access to opportunities and productive resources.
BY EUGENE AMPIAW AND HILDA NSAMI
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