In order to achieve the objective of mainstreaming the vulnerable, particularly persons living with disabilities into society, the Government of Ghana by law allocates a percentage of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) to the running of the operations of the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Association and provision of support for its members in the districts across the country. The funds are therefore generally used for organizational development activities and for the provision of three (3) forms of support which include: medical support, educational support and income generation support; administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development.
Before each disbursement exercise, the Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) with the support of the executives of the Association in the Municipality conducts an assessment exercise to select beneficiaries from the pool of applications received from members of the association.
Having conducted the necessary selection exercise, the DFMC in collaboration with the Management of the Keta Municipal Assembly scheduled Wednesday, the 21st of December, 2022 to conduct yet another disbursement exercise – to provide beneficiaries with the requisite resources to boost their income generation activities.
On the said date, the programme started off at 11:00am at the Keta Muncipal Assembly Hall. In attendance were the Honourable Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Emmanuel Gamegah, the Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Mad. Faustina Borkloe, the head of the Community Development Unit, Mad. Celestine Adopley-Attipoe, Officers at the Social and Community Development Department, Mr. Samuel Odei Amankwah and Mr. Robert Ashie Kotey, the Muncipal Persons with Disability Association executives: Mad. Cherita Kudodah, Mr. Godwin Adzipome, Mr. Godsway Mensah, Mr. Steven Dedzo, Mr. Emmanuel Dogbeda, Mr. Elorm Tamakloe, Mad. Judith Gati, Mr. Jacob Tornyeaviadzi, Mr. Akorgla Borgah. There was also in attendance reporters from media houses like Jubilee Radio, officers from the Finance Department and Internal Audit Unit, members of the PWD Association and the general public.
The Master of Ceremony (M.C.), Madam Adopley-Attipoe welcomed all present and called on a member of the PWD Association to offer the opening prayer. She once again offered a brief welcome addrees and introduced the officials present. Mad. Kudodah, Mad. Borkloe and Hon. Gemegah then took turns to address the gathering. In their addresses, they admonished the beneficiaries to put the resources that would be given them to good use to better their lives and the lives of their dependants. Mad. Borkloe in particular advised the beneficiaries of the importance of availing themselves to officers from relevant district, regional and national agencies for monitoring and evaluation exercises that would come up in the future.
The programme then proceeded with the handing over or the presentation of the cash and equipments to the beneficiaries. The Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Gemegah and some executives of the PWD Association did the presentations. Beneficiaries received various cash amounts according to their varying needs. Others also received items such as refrigerators, a laptop computer, hand sewing machines, a foot sewing machine, a multi-purpose sewing machine, truck carts and manual water pumping machines.
After the presentations, Mad. Borkloe and Hon. Gamegah gave brief closing remarks and re-iterated the need for the beneficiaries to put the cash and items to judicious use and always avail themselves to monitors. A vote of thanks was given and the programme ended a1:00pm with a closing prayer.
