The Akrofuom District Assembly in the Ashanti region has allocated a total of GH¢66,000 worth of items in support of 30 People Living with Disabilities in the district.
The categories include: the individual’s Educational support with GH¢8,000, Medical support of GH¢6,000, Trading GH¢10,000 and Economic Empowerment of GH¢42,000.
The 30 individual beneficiaries received items such as deep freezers, sewing machines, hair dryers, wheelchairs, Knapsack sprayers among others.
The distribution marks the eighth of the kind that the Assembly has provided support to people with disabilities in the district, since the creation of the incentive in 2018.
Mr. Maurice Jonas Woode, the District Chief Executive of Akrofuom, who presented the items on behalf of the Assembly to the beneficiaries disclosed that the items were distributed based on the specific needs of the recipients identified through assessments.
The DCE explained that the gesture was in line with the Assembly’s contribution towards improving the general wellbeing of PWDs, adding that the Assembly recently renewed health insurance for about 297 individuals with disabilities and assisted 10 in launching profitable businesses, as well as providing scholarships to eight students by covering their school fees and offering academic support.
According to him, some of them also received training in making yogurt, sugar and other products to enhance their employment prospects.
DCE Maurice Woode emphasised that the aim was to create job opportunities, alleviate poverty among people with disabilities and improve their social status.
He advised the beneficiaries to utilise the items for the intended purpose as a source of income and urged all persons with disabilities to register with the Assembly to access future distributions.
Miss Sarah Tieku, the Secretary of the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), expressed gratitude to the Assembly on behalf of the beneficiaries for the support, and expressed her excitement for the transparent distribution of the items.
She entreated the beneficiaries to utilize the items responsibly rather than selling them.
Sheriff Mohammed, a beneficiary said but for the items, which would go a long way to improve upon their standard of living, life could be a real challenge.
She expressed gratitude to the Assembly for the support and noted that items would significantly impact their economic life positively.
