The Akrofuom District Assembly in the Ashanti Region has received commendations from persons living with disabilities in the district for maintaining transparency in the disbursement of funds.

A member of the disability association in Akrofuom, Abena Kyerewaa, revealed that since 2018, the Assembly has consistently supported their members to improve their livelihoods.

At a short ceremony to hand over items procured through the District Assemblies Common Fund to some persons living with disabilities, Ms. Kyerewaa said she was particularly pleased with the process through which the items were procured. She stressed that they were based on the pressing needs of individual beneficiaries and not the wishes and assumptions of the Assembly.

By statute, 3% of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) quarterly released to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) is earmarked for Persons With Disabilities.

This fund supports economic activities, educational and health expenses, disability organizations, and the purchase of assistive devices and aids for persons with disabilities. Prior to President Akufo Addo increasing the share to 3%, the allocation constituted 2% of the District Assembly Common Fund.

In their 3rd disbursement of the year, the Akrofuom District donated fridges, wheelchairs, hair dryers, and farm spraying machines to 13 persons living with disabilities to empower them economically. Some were also given medical and educational support.

The items were procured at a cost of GH50,000. Speaking to the media after the donation, the Chief Executive of the Akrofuom District Assembly, Dr. Maurice Jonas Woode, said the Assembly has been diligent in releasing the disability fund to the beneficiaries since the district was created in 2018.

He mentioned that the Assembly undertakes periodic needs assessments to ascertain the pressing needs of the PWDs in the district. The purpose of the fund is to empower the beneficiaries to improve their livelihoods.

To ensure the items donated are used for their intended purpose, the Akrofuom DCE mentioned that a committee has been set up to monitor how the beneficiaries use the items received. He added that, in Akrofuom, the items have contributed to eliminating begging on the streets.

"The feedback from our monitoring team is that the items donated have succeeded in changing the lives of the beneficiaries. Now, you hardly see disabled individuals begging on the streets," Dr. Woode added.

He encouraged the recipients to utilize the items they had received to generate income and urged all persons with disabilities to register with the assembly to access future distributions.