The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Birim Central Municipal Assembly, Ms Ophelia Koomson, has called on society to encourage and support the disabled to acquire employable skills..
She said this would enable them to contribute towards the economic development of the country, since the disabled constitute over 10 per cent of the country’s population.
She said any effective mobilization of such people into the economic life of the country would enable Ghana to benefit from their contribution towards the employment and worth creation of the country and reduce the poverty level in the Ghanaian society.
Ms Koomson was speaking at a ceremony to present sewing equipments worth GHC 2,182 by the Local Enterprise and Skill Development Program(LESDEP) to the newly established Joyce Boamah Vocational Centre at Akroso, on Monday..
The centre trains the disabled in rural communities in tailoring and dress making.
The items presented included an industrial sewing machine, one over lock sewing machine, an embroidery machine and four hand sewing machines.
Ms Koomson reminded the gathering that any healthy fellow could become a disable at any time and so there was the need for the development of structures in the society to ensure that the disabled also live economically viable lives to enable them to realize their full potential as citizens of the country.
She called on parents and opinion leaders in the country to encourage and support the disabled in the society to register when the biometric voters register is opened later in the month to enable them to exercise their franchise during the national elections.
Ms Koomson advised the students to take their studies very serious and that after their graduation, avoid the practice of most dressmakers and tailors, who normally disappoint their clients by delaying in sewing their items.
Ms Fataya Zoka, Eastern Regional Coordinator of LESDEP, expressed her appreciation that some disabled in the rural areas have decided to stop begging for alms and are learning employable skills.
She explained that, LESDEP orgarnises skill training for the unemployed and supports them to acquire equipment, which they pay back over a period and urged all interested in the program to apply through their District LESDEP Coordinators for consideration.
Ms Zoka said the program areas include carpentry, farming, mobile phone repairs, barbering, catering and many more.
