The Upper East Regional Chapter of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled has trained 40 women in bead making, as a way to empower them and to discourage persons with physical challenges from begging for alms on the streets.

The women who participated in the bead making training included some women who are members of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled and others who are relatives of members of the association that were unable to participate in the training themselves, due to the nature of their physical challenges.

The women were selected from the Bolgatanga Municipality and the Bongo district. 

The training funded by Donsk Handicap Forbund in Denmark aimed to empower the beneficiaries with meaningful employment.

The facilitator for the training, Happy Sarbbah of the Krobodan Beads Limited said the women were trained to be able to make the beads, according to both traditional and modern trends.

She said the business of bead making was lucrative and urged the women to be committed to the trade.

“Where I come from, we have a lot of women who are into bead production and bead designing. Some of them have been able to put up buildings and have been able to educate their children. So, if the women in Bolgatanga will take this beading work seriously, I believe they will be able to gain something out of it”, she said.

The Project Officer for the Upper East Regional Chapter of the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled, David Aniah said it was the hope of the organization that the training would inspire confidence in persons with physical challenges, and discourage them from going on the streets to beg for alms, as many of them are often tempted to do.   

“Begging is not a good thing so we are taking advantage of this to appeal to our colleagues [PWDs] on the streets to find something doing; find a sustainable job, learn a skill”, he said.

“And if you think that you want to learn a skill and probably lack funding, contact your District Assembly and I am very sure they will be able to help you”, Aniah added.

 He said the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled was going to work with the various municipal and district management Committees for the disability fund, to ensure that the women who underwent the training will be supported with the tools and capital to begin bead production on their own.

“The participants here were carefully selected based on their interest. We also made sure we selected those who will be able to use the skills after the training. So, we will follow up to ensure whatever package we give them, the women will use it to the latter”, he said.

Some of the women who went through the training, were excited about what they learned. 

One of them, Abigail Ageba said the training was going to help her start her own business and help persons with disability.

“After the training, we will go back home and also train those who cannot walk and are not able to do other [demanding] jobs, so that they can also do something for themselves”, she said.

Another participant, Berlinda Amoah, said; “We can use these beads to make sandals, bags, earrings, necklaces, lots of things to make money for ourselves”.