Cape Coast, Jan. 09, GNA- . The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Fund, in collaboration with the British Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in the third quarter of 2011 disbursed an amount of GHc42,990 to 52 beneficiaries in the Cape Coast Metropolis.

Mrs Felicia Ankrah, Metropolitan Director, Department of Social Welfare, who made this known in an interview with the GNA in Cape Coast on Monday, said beneficiaries like the Association for the Deaf, the Blind Union, Physically Disabled and the Association of People with Intellectual Disability were each presented with GHC5000.00

She said the Fund was to help people with disabilities to engage in petty trade and other activities as such handicraft to generate income for their welfare and livelihood.

According to her, although the Government “was doing everything possible to take care of the needs of the disabled” , it was not enough and called for the upward adjustment of the fund to enable many more disabled people to benefit.

Mrs Ankrah appealed to the Government to endeavour to employ more personnel to enhance the activities of the Department adding, currently her outfit depended on National Service Persons.

She expressed concern about the activities of some NGO’s and Day Care Centres operators in the Central Region which she noted did not have permits, adding that some of the day care centres were sub-standard.

She announced that the Department would soon close down Day Care Centres and Orphanages that were operating without permit.