The Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Assembly in the Bono East Region has supported 102 persons with physical challenges with start-up items, financial assistance and other interventions aimed at improving their livelihoods and promoting economic independence.
The beneficiaries received items including chest freezers, industrial sewing machines and fufu pounding machines, alongside cash support to enable them to establish or expand small businesses.
Some beneficiaries also received educational scholarships and assistance with the payment of medical bills as part of the Assembly’s broader effort to address their social and economic needs.
Speaking at a ceremony in Atebubu, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Thomas Ayarba Maswud, urged the beneficiaries to use the items and financial support for their intended purposes.
He said the Assembly would monitor the beneficiaries’ economic activities to assess the impact of the intervention and ensure that the resources were used productively.
Mr Ayarba said the Assembly remained committed to extending similar support to other persons with physical challenges within the municipality.
He stressed that development could only be meaningful when vulnerable groups were given opportunities to participate actively in economic and social activities.
“I strongly believe that development must be inclusive, and everybody regardless of their background deserves an opportunity to work and contribute meaningfully to development,” he said.
The intervention is expected to enable beneficiaries to establish income-generating ventures in areas such as food processing, retail and tailoring, reducing their dependence on family members and other forms of assistance.
The Chairman of the Ghana Society of the Physically Challenged, Atebubu-Amantin Municipal Branch, Mr Shaibu Sulemana, expressed appreciation to the Assembly for the support.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to make prudent use of the equipment and cash provided to them and turn the assistance into sustainable sources of income.
The initiative forms part of efforts by the Assembly to improve the socio-economic conditions of persons with physical challenges and promote their greater participation in the development of the municipality.
