The Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly (AWMA) in the Greater Accra Region last Friday, presented assorted items and cash to 44 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the municipality.
The items included deep freezers, laptops, industrial sewing and knitting machines, wheel chairs, bakery machines, hair dryers, accessories and cash meant to make them self-reliant and to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The beneficiaries included 20 physically challenged, nine autism and cerebral palsy, four visually impaired and 11 hearing and speech impaired persons.
The gesture formed part of the District Assemblies Common Fund
Presenting the items to the beneficiaries, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Ms Sandra Owusu-Ahenkora, charged them to focus on their abilities to enhance their social image and to contribute their quota to the community and society at large.
She noted that disability was a state of health that posed some challenges to individuals saying, “This should not hinder you from doing what an able-bodied person could do.”
To alleviate poverty among PWDs within her jurisdiction, Ms Ahenkorah pledged support to those who were willing to be independent and contribute their quota to sustain the economy, adding that through a dignified labour the PWDs would not beg for arms on streets.
She lamented that some of them were sent to their ‘early graves’ as they got knocked down by moving vehicles in the act of begging at the middle of the road.
Ms Ahenkorah mentioned that her outfit had mainstreamed PWDs into the Assembly Social Protection Strategy and Poverty Reduction Interventions to enable them to develop their full potentials and participate in the national development process.
On his part, Mr Joshua Addy, the Council representative for Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) in the area, charged the beneficiaries to use the items and moneys judiciously.
Ms Sherifa Yahaya, a beneficiaries lauded the assembly for the social intervention and advised other PWDs to embrace the opportunity to learn some skills to improve their living conditions.
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE
