The initiative is aimed at equipping beneficiaries with the necessary tools to establish or expand their businesses, become self-reliant and improve their livelihoods.

The event brought together key stakeholders, including the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Emmanuel Kwame Frimpong; Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Abdul Rahman Salam; Municipal Social Welfare Director, Madam Gladys Zuuri; traditional leaders; the clergy; security personnel; representatives of the Association of Persons with Disabilities; Assembly Members and members of the public.

In her welcome address, the Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, Madam Gladys Zuuri, expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for his commitment to inclusive development.

She said the government remained committed to supporting and empowering persons with disabilities, stressing that the initiative was “not charity work, but capacity building.”

Madam Zuuri urged beneficiaries to take their trades seriously, avoid laziness and make effective use of the tools provided to improve their livelihoods.

She disclosed that items including sewing machines, knitting machines, masonry tools and tiling machines were being distributed to qualified beneficiaries across the municipality to support their economic activities.

On accountability, Madam Zuuri explained that all applications had been thoroughly reviewed and that successful beneficiaries would be monitored to ensure the items were used for their intended purposes. She therefore urged beneficiaries to remain committed to their respective trades.

In a brief address, the Chairman of the Social Welfare Sub-Committee, Hon. Apostle Kish Nyame, commended the President, the Municipal Chief Executive and the Member of Parliament for Tano South for their commitment to supporting vulnerable persons in the municipality.

He noted that the intervention would contribute significantly to improving the livelihoods of beneficiaries and making them self-reliant.

Hon. Nyame urged beneficiaries to use the items responsibly and for their intended purposes. He also encouraged those who did not benefit from the current distribution to exercise patience, assuring them that they would be considered in subsequent distributions.

Addressing the gathering, the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Emmanuel Kwame Frimpong, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to inclusive development, stressing that no one would be left behind in the national development agenda.

He said nation-building was a shared responsibility and that the initiative was intended to empower persons with disabilities to become productive and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Hon. Frimpong explained that the government had increased the allocation under the Disability Common Fund from three per cent to five per cent to expand support for persons with disabilities. He said the assistance covered not only materials and equipment but also areas such as start-up capital, medical expenses and association conferences.

He disclosed that 75 beneficiaries would receive the items earmarked for distribution and urged them to use the support responsibly to improve their livelihoods.

The MCE also called on residents to desist from marginalising persons with disabilities and encouraged them to patronise products and services offered by PWDs.

He expressed profound gratitude to the Fund Management Committee, the leadership of the Assembly and all stakeholders for their cooperation and support towards the initiative.

The chairperson for the occasion, Nana Addai Asubonteng, who represented the Paramount Chief of the Bechem Traditional Area, Nana Asiwobour Osei Bonsu III, underscored the importance of the initiative.

He said the intervention would help improve the socio-economic well-being of persons with disabilities and contribute to their empowerment and independence within the municipality.

He explained that persons with disabilities possess special qualities and that, when given the necessary support and empowerment, they can contribute significantly to the growth and development of the municipality and the nation at large.

Nana commended the President and the Municipal Assembly for their continuous support and called on them to sustain the initiative to ensure that more persons with disabilities in the municipality continue to benefit.