The North Dayi District in the Volta Region is poised to enhance the livelihoods of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in its jurisdiction. 

The Assembly aims to achieve this by using the portion of the Common Fund allocated to PwDS to provide startup kits for beneficiaries. 

The North Dayi District has over 600 persons with disabilities, with majority of them being dependent on relatives, while others rely on alms. 

In a bid to change this narrative, the District Assembly decided to use the PwDs allocation of the Common Fund to provide start-up kits for them.

This is to enable the beneficiaries to engage in trading activities to earn a living. 

Forty PwDs benefited from the recent distribution exercise. They received items to set up mini-grocery shops, and goats to engage in livestock production. 

The North Dayi District Chief Executive, Kudjoh Attah, believes this would transform the lives of the beneficiaries and also propel the growth of the local economy. 

He explained that the Assembly would organize periodic capacity-building programmes and training for PwDs to equip them with the skills to effectively manage their businesses.

“You will appreciate the fact that over the years, since 2017, we have changed this format of gifting money to PwDs to items,  the expectation is that it will affect their local economy.

We seek to transform their lives, we seek to change their mindset so that they will have a different perspective about life”, he said. 

He added that beneficiaries who manage their businesses well would be rewarded, while those who fail to make profitable use of the items would be rebuked. 

Mr. Attah indicated that aside from the provision of the startup kits, the Assembly pays school fees and medical bills for PwDs who are unable to foot their bills. 

The beneficiaries lauded the Assembly on the distribution, hoping it would contribute to improve their livelihoods.