A Non-Governmental Organization base in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, Youth and Women Empowerment (YOWE), has mediated between the People With Disability Fund Management Committee and the People with Disability (PWD) in the municipal at a day meeting to resolve and settle all misunderstandings regarding the disbursement of PWD share of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).
The meeting which was held at the Assembly Hall of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly on Friday, brought together the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. S.K. Tetteh, Hon. Awuley Mensah, the Presiding Member of the Assembly, the Social Welfare Director, Mrs. Fosu Naa, the Director of YOWE, Mr. Emmanuel Asiakwa, the various PWDs union leaders as well the followership of the PWDs and the media for dialogue, questions of concern and suggestions.
Persons with disabilities have 3% share of all quarterly releases of the DACF meant for their upkeep. The fund was previously disbursed in cash to physically challenged persons for their use.
The government under H.E. Akufo Addo Dankwa, however, make it a policy that, instead of handling out cash to the beneficiaries which they usually dissipated in no items, it was better to ensure that the money was used to secure sources of living with their consent.
Rite FM can confirm the surrounding districts namely; Lower Manya, Upper Manya and Yilo Krobos, Asuogyaman and Shai Osudoku working in compliance with this policy directive have decided to use the funds to set their PWDs up in small business ventures which would help alleviate poverty and improve their economic status.
According to the Social Welfare Director, the Fund Management Committee’s first batch of consignment disbursed to beneficiaries faces some challenges partly due to ignorant on their part, and henceforth the dialogue has provided feedback to make the exercise better.
“This was the first time this arrangement has come. And we were asked to bring the media, take photos and the like. We were ignorant and so some items we gave to beneficiaries were limited, but my greatest lesson learnt is the feedback and guidance this gathering has brought,” the Social Welfare Director, Mrs. Naa Ofosu has disclosed.
She further assured, “in the subsequent distributions beneficiaries are going to see improvement; we’ve corrected our errors.”
In his remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Asiakwa, chief for YOWE gender and social inclusion issues is key on their agenda, and would do everything possible to make dissemination of information to vulnerable a culture of society.
According to him, the dialogue was necessitated by the expression of discontent and misunderstanding among PWDs regarding the way their funds is been managed.
But he said the meeting has put smile and hope onto the faces of the disables.
“The participants are now informed unlike the previous; the people thought to sell items given to them. But now most people understand themselves,” Mr. Asiakwa said.
Madam Korley Mary, a PWD and participant; says, “there were mistakes in the first deliveries, now we pointed them out to them. We are also educated on the precise content of our application.”
The MCE, Hon. Simon Kweku Tetteh has assured persons with disability his office as well as the government will work hard to ensure their socioeconomic success.
He further advised that in times of dissatisfaction on the part of PWDs, his doors are always open for amicable resolutions.
Youth and Women Empowerment (YOWE) is a Non-Governmental Organization based in Lower Manya Krobo Municipal.
YOWE is currently advocating on Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in Lower and Upper Manya Krobo districts with funding from STAR-Ghana Foundation
Source: ritefmonline.org/Omanba Kodwo Boafo
