Obuasi Municipal Assembly Disburses GH¢359,661 to Support Persons with Disabilities

The Obuasi Municipal Assembly has disbursed GH¢359,661 from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to support Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the municipality.

More than 60 per cent of the amount was used to procure equipment and working tools to promote economic independence and improve the livelihoods of beneficiaries following a needs assessment conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development.

The items distributed included deep freezers, pepper-grinding machines, fufu-pounding machines, hairdryers and accessories, knitting machines, industrial sewing machines, a block-moulding machine, barbering tools and equipment, and bales of dusters.

Other forms of assistance included laptop computer and cash support for medical and educational needs.

Speaking at a brief disbursement ceremony, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Faustilove Appiah Kannin, said the welfare and inclusion of PWDs remained a priority of the Assembly.

She explained that the support was tailored to the individual needs of beneficiaries, based on the assessment conducted by the Department of Social Welfare, to ensure that the assistance addressed their specific challenges.

The MCE also disclosed that the Assembly was working towards operationalising the Disability Centre at Kunka to provide skills training and other opportunities to improve the livelihoods of PWDs.

She said the centre, when fully operational, would serve as an important platform for equipping beneficiaries with practical skills to enhance their independence and participation in economic activities.

In an interview with the Information Services Department (ISD), the Municipal Officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Madam Mary Pokua Ofori, commended the MCE and her administration for their continued support for disability-related programmes in the municipality.

She said the Department had put monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure that the items and cash disbursed were used for their intended purposes.

Madam Ofori cautioned beneficiaries against diverting the support to other uses, warning that anyone found misusing the assistance could face appropriate sanctioned.

The Assembly said the intervention formed part of its commitment to promoting social inclusion, economic empowerment and improved living conditions for Persons with Disabilities in the municipality.

Ernest Kofi Offen, ISD