The Department of Social Welfare of Ga Central Municipal Assembly has presented funds and distributed items to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Beneficiaries received items such as provisions, braille installed laptops, deep freezers, rubber products and huge sums of money for medical expenses and school fees at a colourful event last Friday.
They were grateful to the government and the Assembly for the effort and for having their welfare at heart.
The recipients promised to use whatever they have received for the intended purposes.
The event, which took place at the forecourt of the Assembly saw the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Mohammed Bashiru Kamara; the Municipal Coordinating Director, John Owusu Donkor; the Presiding Member, Hon. George Adu Darko, a representative from the National Council on Persons with Disabilities, Joshua Addy; Assembly members of the various electoral areas, and Heads of Department gracing the occasion.
The Municipal Director for Social Welfare, Lydia Apaalah indicated that the items were items were distributed to persons with disabilities based on their needs and at their request.
She explained that the disbursement of items was a government initiative through the Assemblies to support and get as many persons with disabilities as possible off the streets.
Madam Lydia urged beneficiaries of the items to use them judiciously while encouraging other PwDs to register with the Assembly so that they can benefit from such initiatives.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Ga Central, Hon. Mohammed Bashiru Kamara, in his address said since his assumption of office, he has always had PwDs in mind and is willing to go the extra mile for them.
He said effort are underway to complete a fish pond that will be used for fish farming so that proceeds will be used to fund the activities of PwDs in the municipality.
“I will personally see to it that the pond located in front of the Assembly which I personally funded its fencing through proceeds from my own fish farm will be completed in no time”, he opined.
Mr. Bashiru added that government is committed to ensuring that PWDs are giving the needed support to help them fend for themselves and their families. He implored them to make good use of the items so that it will motivate the Assembly to do more for others to also benefit.
In the second part of the programme, the MCE presented battery cages to women poultry farmers in the Ga Central Municipality.
These cages will be used to house and feed poultry birds.
The imported cages will help the women poultry farmers in the municipality to increase their production and boost Ghana’ s economy.
Chairperson for the occasion, Gertrude Nana Fremah in her opening remark, encouraged beneficiaries to put whatever they receive into good use so that others can also benefit.
She said as the Chairperson for the Social welfare committee, she would like to plead with government to increase the 3% common fund allocated to PwDs so that a lot of PwDs can be brought on board and catered for.
The representative for National Council of Persons with Disabilities, who is a PwD, Joshua Addy, speaking on behalf of the council said persons with disabilities have been neglected for too long and said it was about time that they were given the needed attention.
He described the situation of PwDs as very worrying and that there was the need for government to focus its attention on their plight.
Mr. Addy praised government and the Assemblies for increasing the allocation of funds from 2% to 3% in recent time but like Oliver Twist he asked for more.
He cautioned beneficiaries to put whatever has been given to them to proper use and not make wastage of them.
