A total of 25 Persons with Disability (PWDs) in the Ayawaso North Municipality in Accra yesterday benefitted from their share of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).
The items estimated at GHC40, 000 included Polytanks, chest freezers, refrigerators, sewing machines, wheel chairs, popcorn machines, among others.
At a short ceremony to distribute the items, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Aminu Mohammed Zakari, said the disbursement formed part of government’s policy backed by law which set aside three per cent of the DACF to be used for economic empowerment of PWDs.
He said the core mandate of the assembly was to take PWDs within the municipality off the street and ensure that they engaged in viable businesses.
He urged the beneficiaries to desist from selling the items and put them to good use to improve their living conditions.
The Director of Social Welfare, Ms Theresa Akutu, said the items were presented following request by the beneficiaries.
She said initially, cash donations were handed out to beneficiaries, but the practice has changed because some PWDs were not prudent in handling the money.
Ms Akutu stated that a team would monitor the use of the items to ensure that they were used for their intended purpose.
She called on all the PWDs to register with the assembly in order to benefit from the fund.
The chairperson for the Disability Fund Management Committee, Mr Nunbilla Hafiz Wuratey, entreated the beneficiaries to properly maintain the items to their own advantage.
He said the assembly was trying to put in place measures to further assist the PWDs to reap the best from the donations they receive whiles encouraging those who were interested in skills training to avail themselves.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the assembly for the support and promised to make good use of the items to better their lives.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
