The initiative, implemented through the Assembly’s Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, seeks to empower beneficiaries to establish or expand their businesses, support their families and contribute meaningfully to the municipality’s economic development.

Addressing the beneficiaries, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. William Kofi Adzowu, said the intervention was funded through the five per cent allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) designated for persons with disabilities.

He stressed that the support should not be regarded as charity but as an investment in the abilities and potential of PWDs.

“Regardless of their disability status, every individual possesses potential. By equipping them with the tools to work and learn, we enable them to provide for their families and contribute meaningfully to local economic development,” he said.

The MCE explained that the items were selected based on the individual needs, skills and business interests of beneficiaries following an assessment by the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development.

The items distributed included deep freezers, refrigerators, industrial sewing machines, knitting machines, hairdryers with washing basins, an industrial oven, an aluminium mitre saw, a portable welding machine, a cocoa spraying machine, a fufu pounding machine and a water storage tank.

Other beneficiaries received bales of second-hand clothing, bags of charcoal and onions, crates of eggs, assorted provisions and staple food items such as maize, millet, beans, rice and cooking oil.

The support package also included a laptop computer, assistance with fees for special schools and financial support for beneficiaries requiring surgical procedures.

Hon. Adzowu said empowering PWDs economically would help reduce their vulnerability, discourage street begging and promote dignity, inclusion and self-reliance.

He urged the beneficiaries to use the items responsibly and take advantage of the support to improve their living conditions.

The MCE also cautioned family members who received items on behalf of relatives with severe disabilities to ensure that the resources directly benefited the intended recipients.