Atebubu-Amantin: 104 Physically Challenged Receive Economic Empowerment

A total of one hundred and four people with disability PWDs in the Atebubu-Amantin municipality have been presented with a number of items to help empower them economically.

The items which were procured from their share of the district assembly common fund included: 15 Freezers, 4 industrial sewing machines, 1 each of knitting and domestic sewing machines, 57 sheep, 1 camera, 2 welding machines, and 2 fufu processing machines. Others are a corn mill, 3 containers, and 5 tri-cycles.

Nine persons received assorted farm inputs made up of fertilizers, seeds, knapsack sprayers, wellington boots, and agrochemicals while 16 others with interests in petty trading were given a thousand Ghana cedis each.

Welcoming the beneficiaries, the municipal director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development Mr. Emmanuel Bukari urged all disabled persons in the municipality to register with their association in order to benefit from future packages.

The Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Edward Owusu, said the New Patriotic Party government with issues of the disabled at heart, increased their share of the district assembly common fund from 2 to 3% on assumption of office in 2017.

He said 80 PWDs benefitted from the 2018 package and urged those who are yet to benefit to bid their time since the package will gradually cover all 700 PWDs currently registered in the municipality.

He said the decision to provide the income-generating items marks a departure from the past when the PWDs received cash which was thinly spread and meagre and so could not make any impact on their lives.

The Bono East regional minister and Member of Parliament for the Atebubu-Amantin constituency Hon. Kofi Amoakohene said in line with President's conviction that disability should not impose any hindrance to the economic well-being of any person, he directed all assemblies to channel the disability component of the common fund into income-generating activities for beneficiaries in order to provide them with alternative livelihoods and consequently empower them economically.

While asking beneficiaries to take good care of the items, he urged them to register and vote for the NPP in the upcoming general elections so as to continue benefitting from future packages.

The President of the local chapter of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled Mr. Shaibu Sulemana thanked the government for the initiative which he said has helped improve the lot of beneficiaries.