By Elorm Yao Aryee
A total of 30 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the Agortime Ziope district of the Volta Region have received business support packages from the District Assembly to enable them engage in income-generating activities. The gesture which is in fulfilment of the government’s new policy directive on the efficient utilisation of the 3% disability component of the District Assembly’s Common Fund, is intended to economically empower disabled persons to fend for themselves. The Assembly has also paid school fees for five young beneficiaries at various stages of their educational lives.
The items worth more than GHC 74,000 included 19 deep freezers, a fridge, a laptop, a corn mill, weaving yarns and food items for persons whose desire is to venture into food vending.
The Agortime Ziope District Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, Togbe Tsali said, ”302 out of about 800 registered persons with disabilities in the district has so far benefited since the inception of the initiative”.
He said a new album for PWDs is being compiled in a bid to capture the details of those who are not part of the existing list.
He disclosed that the Assembly has set up a Committee to periodically monitor how the business packages are being utilized and confirmed that so far majority of the beneficiaries are making progress.
Togbe Tsali on behalf of the beneficiaries urged the government to reconsider the taxation of their 3% share of the District Assembly Common Fund to increase the number of beneficiaries.
The District Chief Executive for Agortime-Ziope, Emilia Adzimah who disbursed the items at Kpetoe, the district capital expressed the Assembly’s commitment to the welfare of PWDs within the district. She urged the beneficiaries not to misuse the items but rather trade with them so as to gain income to improve their living conditions and that of their dependents.
The beneficiaries thanked government for the gesture and pledged to use them for the intended purposes.
