A total of 42 Persons With Disability (PWDs) in the Ayawaso Central Municipality on Monday received assorted items as support from the District Assembly Common Fund to enable them become self reliant.
Out of the 42 persons, 31 received deep freezers, laptop, refrigerators, sewing machine, popcorn machine, pepper grinding machine, photo copier machine, poly tank and fufu machine.
Others were supported with cash for school fees and to sell perishable and non- perishable items such as frozen fish, water, soft drink, credit cards, and engine oil.
In a welcome address, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji Mohammed Quaye said the items worth about GH¢ 100,000 was the third support the assembly had disbursed to a total of 132 PWDs in the municipality.
He said the major aim of the disbursement was to ensure that the beneficiaries were off the streets and to help them secure their daily bread.
According to him, since the programme began, some beneficiaries who hitherto solicited for alms on the streets have vacated those places.
According to the MCE, more PWD applicants were on the cards of the assembly, adding however that the disbursement would be done in phases.
Alhaji Quaye said the era when beneficiaries were given physical funds to purchase their intended request was long gone by except for rare cases because of the incident of misapplication of funds.
Alhaji Quaye said in the present era, the assembly receives the request of the applicants and buys the intended items on their behalf adding that keen monitoring was done in all cases.
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He advised the beneficiaries to put the items to good use to justify the investment made in them.
In a brief speech, the chairman of the Social Services Sub-Committee and District Fund Management, Mr Abubakar Alhassan said after the disbursement, the committee would monitor all beneficiaries to ensure value for money.
He said most PWDs have enormous potential and given the necessary support, they would excel and live independent lives.
The committee, he said received 60 applications from PWDs out of which 48 were shortlisted and registered.
He said those registered went through various stages of vetting of which 42 were approved based on criteria such as needs assessment, electoral area and urgency of need.
He mentioned that the assembly would continue to place premium on the welfare of PWD in the municipality.
