Christian Aid hands-over start-up kits to PwDs

Christian Aid, a UK based international Non-Governmental Organization has presented start-up kits to 15 Persons living with Disables (PWDs) in the Ablekuma South sub-metro to help improve their livelihoods.

The start-up kits included raw materials for the production of liquid soap, shampoo, bleach, hair conditioner, hair food, antiseptics and ointment. The disbursement of the start-up kits to the Ablekuma South PWDs is part of a total budget of €17,500.00 allocated for start-up kits for the beneficiaries of the GEOP project.

The handing over of the start-up kits falls under the European Union funded Growing Economic Opportunities for Sustainable Development Project (GEOP), which is aimed at promoting local economic development within a sustainable environment.

Mr Sadick Osman, the Project Officer GEOP, speaking at the event said that the disbursement of the start-up kits was to help the PWDs utilize the skills they have acquired from the project trainings in order to help improve their livelihoods.

He noted that as a country with a youthful population, it was important to target and implement skills related projects so as to help tackle unemployment.

In anticipation of the 2018 International Day for Persons with Disability, he entreated all stakeholders to collaborate and empower PWDs and also continue the advocacy on promoting their inclusiveness at all levels of governance.

The GEOP project is being implemented in the Ayawaso East Municipality, Ablekuma South sub-metro and the Ellembelle district. The project is focused on enhancing economic opportunities for the youth, PWDs and women in the target areas.

The initiative also seeks to specifically target young women aged 15 -35 in the informal sector to enable them to participate more effectively in economic opportunities as well as enhance local government to mobilize revenues from non-state actors and private sector to improve service delivery accountability and effectiveness.

Mr Enoch Lamptey, who spoke on behalf of the other beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the European Union and Christian Aid for the gesture, adding that the start-up kits would enable them to expand their work and more importantly diversify their income source and livelihoods.

The PWDs pledged to use the start-up kits for the intended purpose in order to help increase their level of incomes and better cater for their families.