Ahafo Ano South District Assembly exists to improve the standard of living of the people in the district through the implementation of pragmatic programmes relating to human development, income generation, employable skills and infrastructural development.  To be able to achieve this mission, opportunity should be created for all manner of persons irrespective of sex, age, social or economic standing to contribute their quota to the development agenda.
The Assembly has identified the following as the vulnerable and excluded in the district.

A.    Women and children
B.    The aged / elderly
C.    Physically & mentally challenged persons
D.    People living with HIV/AIDS

Women And Children
According to 2000 population and Housing Census report, females constitute 44.8% of the district’s total population.  For the district to develop, every effort should be made to empower the women socially, politically and economically. Culturally, especially in an Akan dominated area like Ahafo Ano South District, access to land is almost invariably determined by marital status and the system of inheritance.

 In a patriarchal society like Ahafo Ano South District, access to land by women and children is limited.  The ownership of land at the clan and community levels is vested in Abusua Panin (Head of family) and the Chief respectively, who are in most cases men.  The district is predominantly agrarian, and in terms of employment income, a significant number of women are into production of food crops. 

But because these women have little or no title to family property especially land, they hardly get access to credit from banks because of lack of collateral.  For this reason, they are unable to expand the size of their holdings, which translates itself into low output levels.  This low level of production leads to low returns on their investments which eventually puts them into abject poverty.

In order to solve the above problem, the Assembly has created women’s loan fund, and a total of ¢100 million has been disbursed to women farmers and petty traders under the loan scheme.The Assembly is sponsoring 100 J.S.S. and S.S.S. students under the Assembly’s sponsorship programme.  This is being done to assist the needy but brilliant children.  The district has to promote access to social services for disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalized groups.

The Aged
The number of persons who have attained 60+ years form 12.5% (20,061) of the total population (160,495) of the district. These people by their age and strength contribute little or nothing to production.  Few of them depend on pensions or are catered for by family members.  The cost of medication becomes high because of old age.

Physically And Mentally Challenged
These are people with disabilities and they are often ignored because of socio-cultural beliefs and other considerations.

Four categories of these people have been identified in the district:

1.  BLIND           
2.  CRIPPLE           
3.  DEAF/DUMB           
4.  MENTALLY RETARDED       
               
The following programmes are needed to improve socio-economic status of these categories of people if the district is to achieve its mission.

• Training in income generating skills for the blind, cripple and the deaf.

• To organize educational programmes to change people’s behaviour and attitudes towards physically and mentally challenged persons.