Atwima Kwanwoma District Assembly Trains PWDs in Pastry, Yoghurt Production and Snail Rearing to Boost Livelihoods
The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development of the Atwima Kwanwoma District Assembly has organised a skills training programme for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to promote economic empowerment, self-reliance and inclusive development in the district.
The training, held at the Assembly’s premises, brought together PWDs from various communities across the district, including persons who are deaf, physically challenged and visually impaired, as well as their caregivers.
Beneficiaries received practical training in pastry production, fresh yoghurt production and snail rearing skills identified as having the potential to provide sustainable sources of income when developed into viable businesses.
Speaking at the programme, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Assembly, Mrs Grace Agyemang Asamoah, encouraged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously and put the knowledge acquired into practice to improve their livelihoods.
She urged them not to abandon the skills they had acquired, but rather work hard to turn them into viable income-generating ventures.
“Do not go back home and sleep on the training you have received. Go and work hard to improve your life,” she admonished.
Mrs Asamoah further encouraged the beneficiaries to share the knowledge and skills acquired with others in their communities, noting that empowering others would help create more livelihood opportunities and contribute to poverty reduction.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering PWDs through skills training and other interventions to create equal opportunities for all, stressing that disability should not be a barrier to economic participation and development.
“Disability is not inability,” she reiterated.
The District Social Welfare Officer, Mrs Hannah Yeboah, expressed confidence that the initiative would go a long way towards improving the lives of the beneficiaries.
She explained that persons with different forms of disabilities were deliberately included in the programme to ensure that the intervention reached a broad spectrum of PWDs across the district. She added that the Department would continue to support initiatives that equip PWDs with practical skills to enable them to become economically independent.
The Chairman of the Ghana Society for Persons with Disabilities, Atwima Kwanwoma Chapter, Mr Yaw Nsafoa, also urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the training.
He noted that the businesses introduced did not require huge capital to start and encouraged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity and work hard to make their ventures successful.
“It is not too expensive, so I urge all of you to work hard and make it a business that will support your lives,” Mr Nsafoa said.
He further advised the beneficiaries to consult the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development whenever they needed guidance in applying the skills they had acquired.
The programme forms part of the Assembly’s broader efforts to promote social inclusion, reduce poverty and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for PWDs.
Samuel Antwi, ISD
Foase
