Otiko Djaba fetes PWDs, vulnerable girls to mark 2nd anniversary of HDMF

Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Otiko Afisah Djaba placed broad smiles on the faces of over hundred Persons with Disability, vulnerable girls and women in Somanya in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region as part of the Christmas celebration.

The Christmas party which was graced by some prominent traditional leaders, religious leaders and other important personalities, was part of activities marking the 2nd Anniversary celebration of the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation (HDMF) and also fell on the birthday of the late Henry Kwadwo Djaba.

The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation was established in memory of the late father of the former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mr. Henry Kwadwo Djaba who contributed immensely to the development of Somanya and Ghana as a whole.

The Foundation focuses on promoting the fundamental human rights of persons with disability, women and children and also seeks to promote their social and economic development.

As her paternal native land, Dr. Otiko Afisah Djaba also a renowned philanthropist has adopted Somanya as the 2nd Operational Headquarters of the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation where she has embarked on several social and economic interventions to better the lives of the people.

Apart from initiating a campaign to mobilize over 16,000 wheelchairs and walking aids for persons with disabilities across the 16 regions of Ghana, the former Gender Minister has also put up an ultra-modern skills training centre in Somanya called the Henry Djaba Memorial Centre for Ideas and Knowledge to offer entrepreneurial training to persons with disabilities and vulnerable young girls in the area free of charge.

She has also embarked on various capacity building programmes to increase the number of women and persons with disability in leadership positions and contribute their quota to the development of Ghana with funding from GIZ, Canada Fund for Local Initiative, Plan International and IMCC.

The Executive Director for the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation is also pursuing an agenda for ensuring vulnerable girls from deprived homes, dropped out of school or affected by teenage pregnancy, and persons with disability in Somanya receive employable skills free of charge at the Henry Djaba Memorial Centre for Ideas and Knowledge so that they can be economically empowered.

However, all the patrons at the party were feasted with food and drinks and also received giveaways and Christmas presents including hairdryers, sewing machines, rice, mackerel, spaghetti and frozen chicken. for the patrons at the party and they were also well entertained.

Dr. Otiko Afisah Djaba in a short speech thanked the Almighty God for His grace and how far He had brought her.

She said that the Christmas party was not only to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of her Foundation but to also show appreciation and love to her hardworking Board of Directors, staff and management, to the community, women philanthropists, all the disability groups, development partners and sponsors of the activities of the Foundation.

Dr. Otiko Djaba specifically acknowledged the UNFPA, Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Plan Ghana International, Global Canada Fund, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, Ghana Baptist Convention, MASLOC, GIZ, IMCC, Allied Oil Ghana, Ghana Gas, Ghana Water Company Limited, Coca Cola Company Limited, Special Ice Mineral Water, Labianca Company Limited, Food for All Africa for their support to the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation.

She also appreciated all the media stations that had supported the Foundation with publicity in the last two years.