The Disability Common Fund (DCF) is three (3) percent of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) set aside for Persons with Disability (PWDs) to alleviate them from poverty and improve the living conditions of this marginalized group in the society. As enshrined under Section 252 of the 1992 Constitution, the DACF is distributed among the Assemblies on the basis of a formula proposed by its Administrator upon Parliament’s approval after which the DCF is made available to augment the wellbeing of PWDs.
Base on foregoing, the office of Social Welfare received thirty-two (32) applications for Trade and twenty-nine (29) applications for Investment from PWDs within the municipality. Accordingly, the Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) upon its intensive assessment approved twenty-eight (28) applications for Trade and twenty-one (21) for Investment.
On the 2nd day of June 2021, the twenty-one (21) PWDs (11 Males and 10 Females) who were approved by the DFMC to be given an investment support were provided with the various startup kits they requested to commence a business on their own. A ceremony that was scheduled at 14:00 GMT to hand these items to the PWDs rather started at 16:00 GMT due to an equally important event which took the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) away from the Assembly’s premises.
Opening Remark
At 16:00 GMT, the Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD), Madam Jemima Apedo welcomed everyone to the programme and apologized for the delay of the programme. In her opening remark, Mad. Apedo stated that the government has set aside funds from the DACF to provide Educational, Trade & Industry, and Investment supports for PWDs within its municipality. The MCD added that the Assembly no longer gives out cash to the PWDs to address their needs but rather uses those funds to provide them with any of the three (3) supports stated above after a need assessment on the targeted beneficiaries has been conducted by the DFMC.
According to Mad. Jemima Apedo, a statement from the MCE indicates that the Assembly has provided Educational support to thirty-three (33) PWDs (16 Females, 17 Males) in April 2021 at a total cost of GhȻ 42, 000. Whilst eighteen (18) of these beneficiaries are in the basic schools, five (5) of them are in the senior cycle schools and the remaining ten (10) are in the tertiary schools. Likewise, twenty-eight (28) PWDs were also provided with Trade and Industries support at a cost of GhȻ 37, 000.
| MCD, Madam Jemima Apedo giving the
opening remark |
In furtherance of the above, the Assembly again is providing an Investment support (items requested by the PWDs and sanctioned by the DFMC to twenty-one (21) PWDs today 2nd June, 2021. The beneficiaries were advised to make economic use of these items so as to improve their financial fortunes which would in tend have a ripping effect on them and their families at large.
Mad. Jemima Apedo ended her remarks by congratulating all the PWDs who have sailed through the process and have gathered here for the various items they have requested for.
| –
Chairman of Disability committee, Mr. Plahar (right) giving his remark |
The Chairman, Mr. E. T. Plahar stressed on the selection process right from application to the vetting of applicants by the DFMC. The PWDs were urged to protect the items and also encouraged to put their best foot forward in order to make economic gain from the very items which were given to them on pro bono.
MCE Message
| MCE, Hon. Daniel Nii Noi Adumuah addressing the gathering. |
At his arrival at 16:49 GMT, the MCE, Hon. Daniel Nii Noi Adumuah apologized profusely for been late and said he went to Accra to pay tribute to the family of the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive (Mr. Nii Adjei Sowah) whose wife gave up the ghost that morning.
The MCE congratulated the beneficiaries and advised the Caregivers not to leave the items idle in their respective homes but should use them for commercial purposes. He added that what they would use the items for will show whether they would be better off financially or not.
He cautioned the beneficiaries not to sell the items as had happened in the past and hence expects a stupendous growth in their businesses and proceeds when the Monitoring team reports to him some time to come.
The Startup Kits
|
Name of Startup Kits (S.K) |
Quantity of S.K | The kind of PWDs who
benefited from each S.K |
Gender of Beneficiaries | |
| Male | Female | |||
|
Deep Freezer |
10 |
Physically Challenged | 3 | 4 |
| Visually impaired | – | 1 | ||
| Down Syndrome | – | 1 | ||
| Cerebral Palsy | 1 | – | ||
|
Industrial Sewing Machine |
2 |
Physically Challenged | 1 | – |
| Hearing Impaired | 1 | – | ||
| Manual Sewing Machine | 1 | Physically Challenged | – | 1 |
| Knitting Machine | 1 | Physically Challenged | 1 | – |
| Electric Corn Milling Machine | 2 | Physically Challenged | 2 | – |
| Electric Vegetable Grinding Machine | 1 | Visually impaired | 1 | – |
| Ice Chest | 1 | Physically Challenged | – | 1 |
| Poly tank | 3 | Physically Challenged | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 21 | 11 | 10 | |
Summary of Startup Kits Distributed.
From the table above, twenty-one startup kits were distributed to twenty-one (21) PWDs (11 males and 10 females). The breakdown of the twenty-one PWDs is spelt out below:
- Physically challenged 16 (8 Males, 8 Females)
- Hearing Impaired 1 (1 Male)
- Visually Impaired 2 (1 Male, 1 Female)
- Down Syndrome 1 (1 Female)
- Cerebral Palsy 1 (1 Male)
Also, the table equally shows that the 10 Deep Freezers procured were given to 7 physically challenged (3 males, 4 females), a female PWD with Down Syndrome, a female visually impaired and a male PWD with Cerebral Palsy.
The two industrial sewing machines were distributed between two male PWDs (Hearing impaired and physically challenged). Three physically challenged (1 male, 2 females) received the three Poly-tanks and another two Physically challenged (all males) took home the two Electric Corn Milling Machines.
Whereas the Knitting machine went a male physically challenged person, a female physically challenged had the Manual sewing machine. Identically, a female physically challenged received the Ice Chest and the Electric vegetable Grinding Machine was given to male Visually impaired.
SOME PICTURES OF THE DIGNITORIES HANDLING OVER THE STARTUP KITS TO THE BENEFICIARIES.
| MCE, Hon. Daniel Nii Noi Adumuah with a beneficiary (middle) and her caregiver (mother) |
|
The MCD handing over Ice Chest to a beneficiary. |
Vote of Thanks
| Mr. Plahar (right) handing over a Manual Sewing Machine to a beneficiary.
|
| Municipal Head (SWCD), Exorgbe A. K. Divine (left) handing over a Deep Freezer to a beneficiary. |
| Picture of the Staffs and the beneficiaries. |
