Ellembelle District Assembly supports PwDs with items, others

Kwasi Bonzoh, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle in the Western Region has given a strong indication of the Assembly's preparedness to establish a disability-friendly ultra-modern skills and training centre for the people living with disabilities (PwDs) in the area.

The move, he noted, will help the disabled people to acquire skills that will help them to be self-sufficient and prevent them from begging for survival.

The DCE also noted that the GHC7 million centre, when completed, would provide skills and training in various ways such as leather making, dressmaking, beads making among others.

Additionally, he said a showroom would be built for the people living with disabilities to display their items and sell them.

He also promised to equip the center with machines when completed adding that "this center, we have completed all the designs and we have secured the land at Esiama and we will start the construction work this year and a year (September 2020) by this time, the center will be ready".

He added, "...when we finish building the center, we train you, equip you, also build a showroom for you to display your items and sell them to get income to take good care of yourself and become self-sufficient".

The DCE made disclosure at Azulenuanu where the Ellembelle District Disability Fund Management Committee provided support to thirty (30) persons with disabilities within the area on Thursday, September 3, 2020.

The support comes as a result of the NPP's 2016 manifesto to increase the Disability Fund Component of the District Assemblies Common Fund, from two per cent (2%) to three per cent (3%).

The items donated include; ten (10) deep freezers, aluminum pans, aluminum pots, pepper milling machine, fufu pounding machine, hairdressing tools, sewing machines, over-lock machine, food items, provisions, scholarship packages among others.

Making the presentation, the District Chief Executive Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh reiterated that the Disability Fund which was established by former President John Kufuor was either misapplied or did not reach the intended beneficiaries.

He added that previously it was given to them in cash instead of using it to buy items for them to do their own businesses.

He, therefore, applauded President Akufo-Addo for changing the status quo to the procurement of specific economic items and business inputs for beneficiaries.

Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh re-affirmed government's commitment to continue to offer support to PwDs, through education, health and economic ventures.

He also took the opportunity to admonish the disabled people to continue to have absolute belief in President Akufo-Addo and accord him the maximum support.

"I will urge you to continue rally behind President Akufo-Addo because he loves you and that is why he increased the Disability Fund from 2 per cent to 3 per cent, support him and he will continue to support you too", he stated.

Mr. Bonzoh rubbished the claims that he had squandered the money meant for the disabled people in the area and disclosed why the items which were supposed to be distributed to them (disabled people) early this year but delayed.

"I have have promised myself not to squander any money meant for the disabled because the disabled themselves need support and I will continue to support them so I have not squandered their money and I want to tell the gathering that they still have money with the Assembly and we will use it to buy items for them very soon, today's distribution is a first batch, the second batch is coming", he emphasized.

He said they planned to do the disbursement somewhere March but had to be postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

He promised that before the end of this year, the second batch of the distribution of the items would be done to those who had not benefited since he became the DCE.

He said so far the Assembly together with the Ellembelle District Disability Fund Management Committee had made four distributions since 2017.

He commended the Ellembelle people living with disabilities for being the first people who don't go out to beg for survival and encouraged them to respect themselves as the government continue to create opportunities for them.

He, therefore, urged them to take proper care of the items to enhance their businesses.

He advised the able-bodied people not to discriminate or stigmatize against the persons with disabilities.

He said able-bodied people could be like them (PWDs), "Disability is not inability", rather such persons are special in their own way, he said.

On his part, the President of Ellembelle Federation of Disabilities, Mr. George Mozu thanked the District Assembly for the kind gesture.

He also advised the beneficiaries to make good use of the items and urged those who couldn't benefit from the items to remain calm as he and his executives working with the Assembly to supply them in due course.

Mr. Mozu thanked President Akufo-Addo for thinking about them for the initiative.

He appealed to the District Chief Executive to provide them with wheelchairs to enhance their movement.

He, therefore, seized the opportunity to encourage his colleague PWDs not to look down on themselves but strive to develop their talents for their own benefit