INTRODUCTION
Economic Empowerment Equipment/items distribution has become an annual ritual to persons with disability to improve their living standards and livelihood. This has become necessary because their inability to perform as abled persons because of their physical, visual, hearing and mental impairments.
The Three (3) percent of District Assembly Common Fund allocated for the persons with disabilities to the Biakoye district assembly aims to alleviate poverty among all PWDs particularly those outside the formal sector of employment, and the enhancement of their social image through dignified labor.
OBJECTIVES OF THE FUND
a. To support the income generating activities of individual persons with
disabilities as a means of economic empowerment
b. To provide educational support for children, students and trainees with
disabilities.
c. To build the capacity of OPWDs in the districts to enable them to
advocate and assert their rights and undertake awareness raising and
sensitization on disability issues.
d. To support persons with disabilities have access to technical aids and other
assistive devices and equipment.
DISTRIBUTION OF ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT EQUIPMENT/ITEM
The programme began at 11:00 am with arrival of assembly staff, invited guests and beneficiaries with an opening prayer from a beneficiary to start the business of the day.
There was an introduction by the chairman for the occasion by the District Coordinating Director.
The district director of social welfare welcome address warmed the beneficiaries due to the fact that, they were impressed by the improvement in the processes involved in benefitting from the fund.
ADDRESS BY HON. REGIONAL MINISTER
A significant number of PWD’s in the district have received similar items during her period in office. Some of the beneficiaries are making giant strides in their field of endeavor reflecting in their improved livelihoods.
He urged the recipients of packages to also do same, to ensure sustainable income generation and improved livelihoods.
The 16 Persons with Disabilities received Cassava Milling Machine, Industrial Sewing Machine and Deep Freezers.
He mentioned that the Assembly has instituted monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track economic activities of every potential beneficiary, and give feedback to the Common Fund Administrator.
He used the opportunity to encourage them to adopt simple book keeping strategy by recording their daily income and also cultivate the habit of savings to take care of unforeseen eventualities and wished the beneficiaries well in their endeavor.
The programme ended at 2:00 pm where economic empowerment items and equipment were handed over to beneficiaries to be conveyed to their various destinations in the district.
EQUIPMENT AND ITEMS DISTRIBUTED
A total of Sixteen (16) Person’s with Disabilities benefitted from the Economic Empowerment items distributed on the 27th November, 2024 at the Biakoye District Assembly Hall, Nkonya-Ahenkro.
The items distributed were Eight (8) Cassava Milling Machines, Five (5) Deep Freezers and Two (3) Industrial Sewing Machines
CONCLUSION
It is estimated by the United Nations that about 82% of persons with disabilities live under the poverty line and 20% of the world’s poorest people are persons with disabilities. The more reason why the needs of these persons have to be attended to in the district. Enabling persons with disabilities has ripple effect on the entire society as a whole by reducing dependency on abled persons.
Report by: Emmanuel A. Asiedu
District Social Welfare and Community Development Officer
