TANO SOUTH DISTRICT ASSEMBLY DISBURSES DISABILITY FUND

The Tano South District Assembly through the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development and the Association of Persons with Disability Management Committee have held a mini durbar at the premises of the Tano Souh District Assembly to present to beneficiaries of the scheme their quota of the two per cent (2%)  share of the district Assembly Common Fund.

The Dignitaries and the Beneficiaries Disabled Persons at the  Programme

In a speech to welcome the gathering, the Tano South Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development Mr Samuel Kyeremeh expressed content on the prompt response and the high turnout of the beneficiaries and all gathered and indicated that though the monies that will be received would not be enough to solve all problems the beneficiaries may be encountering he hoped they would use it judiciously to meet some of their demands and the purposes of which it was intended for.

                          

Mr Samuel Kyeremeh District Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development giving his welcome address

Addressing the gathering, the Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba expressed gratitude to be part of the ceremony as he recognises the role Persons with Disabilities play in the socio economic development of the District and the country as a whole and indicated that the government has set up a scheme to allocate two per cent (2%) of the District Assembly’s common fund solely to serve the needs of Persons with disabilities and affirmed that the allocation for the disabled persons is governed by detailed guidelines that includes the opening of a separate account in which the two per cent (2%) share of the District Assembly Common Fund is paid into and the formation of the Disability Fund Management Committee.

                             

The Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba delivering a speech

Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said the disbursement of the PWD’s fund is to support them in income generating ventures, children’s education, and provision of technical Aid and registration of the National Health Insurance and urged all persons living with disabilities to register and join the Association of the disabled so as to benefit from the fund. He said aside the disbursement of funds to its beneficiaries the District Assembly also support the Disability Fund Management Committee in diverse ways including organizational Development, outreach programmes and workshops for training in employable skills and apprenticeship.

Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said that since the inception of the scheme in 2011, an amount of three hundred and fourteen thousand six hundred and seventy eight cedi’s (GH¢ 314,678.00) has been paid to a total number of one thousand one hundred and eighty (1,180) beneficiaries. He indicated that this year alone a total amount of eighty two thousand six hundred and thirteen cedi’s (GH¢ 82,613.00) have been disbursed to two hundred and thirty eight (238) beneficiaries district wide and entreated them to use the money for the intended purposes.

On The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, Hon. Anaba said the programme has been designed to alleviate the plight of the poor and to help the needy and vulnerable persons in a household to achieve social integration. He included that though the Tano South District became part of LEAP in 2014, the District started receiving funds in 2015 with twelve (12) communities selected and two hundred and sixty seven (267) people hooked to the programme and added that the district has witnessed seven cycles of LEAP payments with an amount of GH¢ 157,878.00 paid to 267 households.

In a speech, the Member of Parliament for the Tano South constituency Hon. Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw said that the President John Dramani  Mahama in his quest to equitably distribute the National wealth and desirous of improving the living conditions of persons living with Disabilities across the country has ensured that a separate account be created for the allocation of the two per cent (2% )

                              

Hon. Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw Member of Parliament for the Tano South constituency addressing the gathering

share of the District Assembly’s Common Fund to be paid directly into to enable the PWD’S access it through their respective District Assembly’s  and the Disability fund management committee which can serve as seed money to enable them meet their numerous demands in the field of establishing their own businesses, medical care wards education and many more.

Hon. Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw said her outfit has been able to register one hundred and seven (107) persons living with disability and called for massive education on the Disability Fund Management Committee since most disabled persons are not aware of such so as to enable them register and join the scheme in other to be beneficiaries and pleaded with those present especially those  who access the funds on behalf of the bed ridden disabled persons to make sure these monies get to them directly and on time so as to relieve them of their suffering and entreated all and sundry to rally behind the NDC and vote massively to retain President John Dramani  Mahama and the NDC in power so as to enable them continue with their good works.                          

The Member of Parliament and the District Chief Executive then made some payments to some beneficiaries of the scheme and supervised the rest of the disbursement by officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development.