GA WEST MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY SUPPORTS 67 PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WITH LIVELIHOOD ITEMS 

The Ga West Municipal Assembly has supported 67 persons with disabilities with various livelihood items to help them become economically self-reliant, improve their living conditions and contribute meaningfully to their families and communities at the forecourt of Ga West Municipal Assembly on Thursday, 13th August 2026.

 The event brought together Assembly officials, representatives of persons with disabilities, Social Welfare officers, beneficiaries, families and other stakeholders.

The initiative forms part of government’s support for persons with disabilities through the Disability Fund, under which a portion of the District Assemblies Common Fund is allocated to promote their welfare and economic empowerment. Funds received by the Assembly from the Common Fund in 2025 were used to procure the items presented to the beneficiaries.

Julius Azuma, the Deputy Director, explained that the Disability Fund was established to provide targeted support to persons with disabilities and encouraged beneficiaries to make productive use of the items to establish sustainable sources of income.

A Social Welfare Officer of the Assembly, Madam Felicia Queieme, advised parents and families to care for children with disabilities with love, patience and dignity. She discouraged discrimination against children with special needs and highlighted the availability of special schools to support their educational development.

Madam Queieme also encouraged prospective couples to undertake appropriate medical tests before marriage, including blood-group testing, as part of responsible family planning and health awareness.

The Disability Representative, Hon. Genevieve Ama Kujem, urged beneficiaries to regard the support as an opportunity to transform their lives. She cautioned them against selling or misusing the items and encouraged them to use them for their intended purposes to generate income and become self-reliant.

She also distributed motivational flyers and provided contact information to beneficiaries for further support.
The Chairman for Persons with Disabilities/Social Welfare, Hon. J.B., stressed the importance of the initiative and urged beneficiaries to use the items productively. He disclosed that the Assembly would, with time, inspect the items to ensure that they were being properly utilised and achieving the intended benefits.

The Presiding Member, Hon. Emmanuel Mawuli Amuzu, also encouraged the beneficiaries to put the items to good use to generate profits and improve their livelihoods. He assured them of the Assembly’s commitment to providing further support in the future.

The Member of Parliament for the Amasaman Constituency, Hon. Sedem Kwaku Afenyo, expressed his happiness in participating in the programme and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting persons with disabilities within the constituency.

He acknowledged that the support might not meet all the needs of the beneficiaries but noted that it would go a long way towards helping them become self-reliant. He also appealed to families to show greater love, care and support to relatives living with disabilities.

Hon. Afenyo further urged beneficiaries not to sell the items but to use them for the purposes for which they were provided, while thanking all stakeholders for their contributions towards the programme.
Madam Evelyn Nanbigne head of  Social Welfare, explained that the beneficiaries had been carefully vetted according to their individual needs and the livelihood activities they intended to undertake.

The items presented included freezers, fertiliser, bags of rice, charcoal, laptops, school bags, wheelchairs, corn mills, polytanks, sewing machines and start-up cheques, among other livelihood support items.
She explained that the vetting process was undertaken to ensure that the assistance provided was tailored to the specific needs and livelihood plans of each beneficiary.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. John Desmond Sowah Nai, expressed appreciation to the Social Welfare Committee and other stakeholders for their efforts towards improving the welfare of persons with disabilities. He also commended President John Dramani Mahama for prioritising the welfare of persons with disabilities.

The MCE noted that the items had been presented to 67 beneficiaries and encouraged them not to look down on themselves because of their disabilities. He urged them to have confidence, work hard and make productive use 0f opportunities provided to them

Hon. Sowah Nai expressed particular satisfaction that the beneficiaries had demonstrated a willingness to work and become self-reliant rather than depend on begging. He further indicated that the Assembly would explore partnerships with non-governmental organisations willing to support persons with disabilities within the Municipality.

He urged the beneficiaries to appreciate the support and use it wisely, stressing that physical ability alone does not determine success and that everyone has a responsibility to use their abilities positively.
The livelihood items were subsequently presented to the beneficiaries by the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. John Desmond Sowah Nai, and the Member of Parliament for the Amasaman The livelihood items were subsequently presented to the beneficiaries by the Municipal Chief Constituency, Hon. Sedem Kwaku Afenyo.

The initiative underscores the Ga West Municipal Assembly’s commitment to promoting inclusion, dignity, economic empowerment and self-reliance among persons with disabilities, while encouraging beneficiaries to transform the support received into sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families 

Source: Gifty Owusu Kattah and Isaac Nana Kwame Boadu, ISD-GWMA.