PWDs expend share of Common Fund on farming

Persons with disability in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region have channeled their share of the District Assembly Common Fund into farming.

The move, according to leadership of PWDs, will improve the livelihood of beneficiaries and also make them self-reliant.

Their share, the Disability Fund, is 3 percent of the District Assembly Common Fund.

It is to be used to support Persons with Disability (PWDs) in various assemblies.

Before one can access this fund, he or she will have to apply to the assembly through the Association of Persons With Disabilities.

A five-member committee sits to vet the applications and approve or reject based on the request.

Previously, the fund was disbursed in the form of cash to members.

But in 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed all MMDAs to equip the beneficiaries instead of giving them cash.

This led to many assemblies distributing ruminants, industrial materials, fridges, provisions and many others to beneficiaries as support.

This year, the Association in the East Gonja Municipality decided to invest in farming for beneficiaries.

Over 160 acres of groundnut and maize farms have since been ploughed for some 80 beneficiaries.

Each beneficiary has two acres.

Thirty of the beneficiaries cultivated groundnut with the remaining 50 cultivating maize.

The assembly ploughed the land for them and also provided them with seeds and some weedicides.

Municipal Chief Executive for East Gonja Mohamed Tamimu said the move will improve upon their livelihood.

“We moved away from the cash system to equipping them just to make them self-reliant and seeing these farms and how well they are doing, I think we took the right decision.”

He added: “The only appeal to them is for them to take good care of their farms.”

Secretary to the Association of Persons with Disability in the East Gonja Municipality Ewurtomah Abdul Wahid said members were happy with the the switch to farming.

He is optimistic members will be self-reliant henceforth.

A physically challenged beneficiary, Imoru Alhassan, expressed gratitude to the assembly.

He indicated that the switch to farming will give them a source of livelihood.