128 PWDs Benefit From District Assembly Common Fund

About one hundred and twenty-eight (128) Persons with Disability(PWDs) within the New Juaben South Municipality have received a total amount of about eight hundred and fifty-four thousand three hundred and fifty Ghana Cedis (Gh¢854,350).

The beneficiaries, who fall within the categories of visually impaired, physically challenged, hearing impaired, mentally unstable and multiple disability persons were assisted through the areas of education, health and business.

The aim of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) for PWDs is to minimize poverty among all PWDs, particularly those outside the formal sector of employment, and also to ensure the enhancement of their image through labour.

It is also to support the income-generating activities of individual PWDs as a means of their economic empowerment and to provide educational support for children, students and trainees with disabilities.

The 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana provides for the establishment of the DACF and mandates Parliament to annually make provision of not less than five percent of the total revenues of Ghana to the District Assemblies for development, out of which two percent of the DACF are to be allocated to PWDs

In an address, Madam Comfort Asante, New Juaben South Municipal Chief Executive, reiterated government's commitment for supporting PWD, through education, health and economic ventures.

He said the NPP government, for that matter the President Akufo-Addo-led administration, was poised to improve the living conditions of disabled persons in the country.

She explained that the Presidency had noted with great concern the plight of PWDs and that measures were being put in place to empower them and to remove them from the streets.

Madam Asante reminded them that the moneys given were to help them accomplish the purpose for which they applied for the support.

She advised them to take proper care of the items to enhance their businesses.

A beneficiary, Madam Rita, expressed gratitude to government for the kind gesture and pledged to put the items into good use, which would go a long way to improve the livelihood of their families.

Madam Rita noted that PWDs were less privileged in society who struggled to make ends meet and, therefore, resorted to the streets to beg for alms.

She, therefore, called on government to re-strategize the mode of disbursement by doing the distribution every month.

Mr Daniel Agyekum, a committee member of the Municipal Fund Management team, commended government for the unflinching support towards the physically challenged, adding that although the presentations were too small to cater for the large number of disabled persons in the society, the gesture would surely bring economic benefit to the beneficiaries.

He urged the beneficiaries not to indulge in frivolities, but to put the monies and items given to them to proper use.

"The money is not a loan, it is not refundable but rather it is to ensure that the disabled persons use it wisely for the intended purpose," he admonished.

Source: ISD (Collins Aikins Akuffo)

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