STMA presents cash and wheel chairs to physically challenged

Sekondi May 11, GNA - The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) on Friday presented cash totalling 11,924 Ghana Cedis to 34 physical challenged individuals from its share of the District Assembly Common Fund at Sekondi.

The Assembly also presented corn-mill and palm kernel cracking machines valued at 2,150 Ghana cedis to the Ghana Association of the Blind and a cash of 1,312 Ghana cedis to the Ghana Association of the Deaf to educate its members on the sign language. Two physically challenged persons received wheel chairs estimated at 800 Ghana cedis. Other items donated included sewing machines and accessories and sewing materials.

Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, who made the presentation, said the government was counting on the contribution of all Ghanaians towards national development.

He said the physically challenged have a role to play in national development and this was the reason why the money had been given to them to set up their own businesses and to improve themselves. Mr Nkrumah said the beneficiaries should apply the money properly to enable them to attract further assistance from the government. He said the government was concerned about the welfare of the physically challenged because every individual was useful. Mr Nkrumah urged the physically challenged to join associations that catered for their welfare to enable them to benefit more from government assistance and programmes. Miss Deborah Kwabia, Metropolitan Director of the Department of Social Welfare, asked families not to abandon their physically challenged children but to provide them with their basic needs. She said her department was ready to assist the physically challenged to solve their problems. Miss Kwabia advised the beneficiaries to use part of their money to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme to enable them to obtain health care when necessary.