The president of Ghana Dream Disability Development Foundation (GDDDF),Richard Offei has lauded the government’s flagship program One District, One Factory (1D1F) which seeks to create jobs and boost local economies.
According to him, the initiative was timely and had helped provide jobs particularly forPersons With Disability and the physically challenged (PWDs) across the country.
He was speaking at the official launch of Richo Pico Natural Fruit Juice,in Accra,on Friday.
The product which has its processing factory at Kasoa in the Central Region has about three mini machines, with about 55 staffs, mainly PWDs.
He explained that the factory was built to support the government’s 1D1F agenda with the sole aim to provide jobs for persons who are physically challenged.
Mr Offei who is also a former Footballer said, the product if well supported by investors and the government it would employ about 40,000 PWDS across the country.
“Many at times, these PWDs are confined in their homes depending on family members while others beg on the streets all for survival and this retard socio-economic development and so this product has come to eliminate the social burden”, he added.
Mr Offei noted that the foundation had partnered the Christian Council of Ghana, educational stakeholders and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to reach out to PWDs who would sell the products on streets, at schools and other parts of the society.
He called on the government and other stakeholders to invest in the business to support the cause.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Delese Mimi Darko pledged the Authority’s support to ensure that the product would progress and could be exported to other countries to create revenue for the government.
She urged the foundation to maintain the relationship between them and the Authority to make industrialization a reality in Ghana.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR
