The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly has provided livelihood support items to more than 30 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), to strengthen their economic independence, improve incomes and support inclusive development in the municipality.

The items, funded through the Disability Fund of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), included plastic chairs, double-decker deep freezers, chest freezers, ice chests, student mattresses, sachet water, vegetable cooking oil, wheelchairs, cassava grinding machines and other livelihood equipment.

At the presentation ceremony, Mr John Atteh Matey, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), explained that the intervention formed part of efforts to create economic opportunities for vulnerable members of society and improve their living conditions.

He said the distribution was the second batch of disability support items by the Assembly since he assumed office, adding that preparations were underway for a third batch of beneficiaries.

Mr Matey noted that providing productive equipment to PwDs was a practical way to reduce poverty, increase household incomes and discourage street begging.

“Disability is not inability. Being disabled does not mean the end of one’s life. We have persons with disabilities serving in public institutions and pursuing higher education, so everyone has the potential to succeed,” he added.

He urged beneficiaries to use the items to establish sustainable livelihoods and support their families instead of depending on alms.

“This support is not a donation for consumption but an investment in your future. We expect every beneficiary to use the items responsibly to establish or expand a viable livelihood,” he said.

The MCE cautioned beneficiaries against selling the items and said the Assembly would monitor their use to ensure they served their intended purpose.

“No one should attempt to sell any of the items. We will follow up, and anyone found misusing the support may not benefit from future interventions,” he said.

Mr Matey cited the example of a physically challenged charcoal trader who educated his children and improved his family’s living conditions, saying disability should not be a reason for hopelessness.

Receiving the items, Mr Isaac Partey Padi, the former Lower Manya Krobo President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, expressed gratitude to the Assembly for the support.

Mr Padi, who was a beneficiary, said a refrigerator he received would help him start a business and improve his income, adding that the intervention would positively affect many persons with disabilities in the municipality.

He however appealed to the Assembly and government to ensure the timely release of the Disability Fund whenever the District Assembly Common Fund was disbursed so that more eligible persons could benefit from the programme.