MTN Assists Disabled
Telecommunications giant, MTN has launched an alternative livelihood project at Koforidua in the Eastern region to support disabled persons to enable them earn a living for themselves and their families.
In that direction, 150 motorised custom tricycles have been presented to the Ghana Society of the Disabled to be given to members across the country to benefit from the project.
The tricycles, powered by solar, will serve as sales points for air time, SIM cards and mobile money registration.
The tricycles will also provide power to charge customers' handsets when they run out of battery while lighting facilities on the tricycles will guarantee beneficiaries extended business hours.
Launching the alternative livelihood project, the Corporate Services Executive of MTN, Cynthia Lumor said the project forms part of MTN's efforts at creating more employment in the country.
According to her, the issue of supporting the physically-challenged was very critical because of MTN's core values which stress on the 'can do' spirit and the conviction that the disabled have a lot of potential if given the opportunities and the tools to work with.
She explained that the project will cost 468,882 Ghana cedis, adding that the project is laudable because MTN believes in the ability of every one to achieve great success if given the right support.
'The project, which is being implemented in collaboration with Itel Limited and MTN Ghana Foundation, will also involve the training of beneficiaries on how to operate the equipment,' he said.
The president of the Ghana Society of the Disability, Joseph Adu-Boampong, who received the tricycles on behalf of the society, said the alternative livelihood project will go a long way to help the physically-challenged people in the society.
According to him, people with disabilities make up about 20 per cent of the country's population but these people grow up lacking the prerequisite capacity for employment or any productive venture.
He stressed that most of the people with disabilities end up languishing on the streets and other public places as beggars.
He said the development of a country is measured not by its quantum of wealth but the way it treats its vulnerable members.