Yilo Krobo expands disability support as beneficiaries rise to 108

The Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region has increased the number of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) benefiting from its livelihood support programme from 74 last year to 108 this year.

The beneficiaries received a combination of start-up kits, income-generating items, assistive devices and cash grants at a ceremony held at the Assembly on Thursday, September 10, 2026.

The support was provided under the Persons with Disability component of the District Assemblies Common Fund, with items tailored to the livelihood interests and needs of the selected beneficiaries.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Yilo Krobo, Francis Addo Akumatey, said the increase in beneficiaries had been made possible partly by the increase in the allocation for PWDs from three per cent to five per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund.

He commended leaders of disability organisations in the municipality for helping to publicise the programme and promoting transparency throughout the beneficiary selection process.



Akumatey said that while the Assembly had made efforts to provide quality items, some applicants could not be selected because they did not meet the required criteria.

He encouraged unsuccessful applicants not to lose hope but to reapply in subsequent rounds.

He also urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the support, regardless of the value of the items they had received, stressing that responsible utilisation would enable the Assembly to extend similar support to more PWDs.

“Make the best of what you have received so that we can do more,” he urged.

108 beneficiaries selected from 164 applications

The Director of Social Welfare and Community Development at the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly, Na-Afua Tettey,, said the intervention aimed to promote inclusion, dignity, social justice, and the economic empowerment of PWDs.

She said the Department received 164 applications across the municipality, out of which 108 applicants were approved following needs assessments, verification and vetting by the Disability Fund Management Committee.

The beneficiaries comprise 27 persons from the lower belt, covering the Somanya zonal area, and 81 from the middle and upper belts, covering Nkurakan, Agogo and Sikabeng.

She said the selection was needs-based and focused on eligibility, individual circumstances and the potential impact of the support on beneficiaries’ livelihoods.

The items distributed included freezers, fridges, fufu, tomato and cassava processing machines, bags of charcoal, maize and onions, industrial and knitting machines, polytanks, farm inputs and animal-rearing support.

Some beneficiaries also received assistive devices and cash support for selected livelihood activities.

The director urged beneficiaries to use the items for their intended purposes, maintain them properly and cooperate with monitoring officers.

She said previous monitoring exercises had shown that while many beneficiaries had used the support effectively and improved their livelihoods, some had sold their items, failed to utilise them or relocated with them.

She appealed to beneficiaries to safeguard the items to ensure that the programme achieved its intended purpose.

She further encouraged applicants who were not selected in the current phase to remain hopeful, explaining that the intervention was continuous and subject to the availability and release of funds.

PWDs call for more frequent disbursements

The President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) in Yilo Krobo, Vida Niine Awaitey, commended the government and the Municipal Assembly for the support.

She said the increase in the PWD allocation from three per cent to five per cent of the Common Fund had provided an opportunity for more persons with disabilities to receive meaningful livelihood assistance.

“Today, our members are receiving more fridges, polytanks, sewing machines, fufu pounding machines and cash support. This is business, this is income, this is dignity for our families,” she said.

Madam Awaitey said the federation had eight zonal representatives who would monitor beneficiaries and provide reports on how the items were used.

She encouraged PWDs in the municipality who had not registered with the federation to do so to improve their chances of being reached by future interventions.

However, in an interview after the ceremony, she expressed concern about the frequency of disbursements and called for more regular support.

“We are not happy that it is not being done quarterly. They should improve the frequency to ensure that as many people as possible are covered,” she said.

Beneficiary celebrates 10-year wait

One beneficiary, Isaac Nartey Terkper, received an industrial sewing machine to support his work.

Terkper said he had sought assistance to acquire the machine for about 10 years and thanked the government and the Assembly for finally responding to his need.

“I have been seeking this for 10 years, and now I have received it. We thank the government. It will help my work,” he said.

The Assembly said it would continue to monitor beneficiaries to ensure that the support provided translates into sustainable livelihoods and improved socio-economic conditions for PWDs in the municipality.