Persons Living With Disabilities Educated On Revised Guide For Their Common Fund Disbursement/Management

Persons living with disabilities (PWDs) in the Ahafo region have been thoroughly sensitized on the content of the revised edition of their common fund disbursement and management guideline document.

As part of the capacity building and empowerment exercise by the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie on Friday at Goaso, the 2022 evidence-based review report of the District Assembly Common Fund was disseminated to members of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organization (GFD). 

It was to empower beneficiaries of the common fund to hold the district fund management accountable in terms of non-adherence to the new guidelines documents in implementation processes, mismanagement of the PWDs’ common fund, delay in disbursement and political interference.

Speaking to the media in an interview, Mrs. Vivian Sarpomaa Fiscian, leadership and governance advisor with the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie noted from a nationwide evidence-based report that most Minister, District and Municipal Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors, District Directors and key staff of the Assemblies were not adhering to the content of the previous guidelines for the disability common fund management.

She indicated the ultimate goal of the fund is to reduce poverty and severe economic hardship among the PWDs, hence the nationwide sensitization by the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie for beneficiaries of the fund to be well informed about the new fund disbursement and management guidelines.

Mrs. Sarpomaa Fiscian explained the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie is a  disabilities focus organization with funding support from the UK Aid and working mainly for PWDs including persons with mental health conditions.

She said beneficiaries in nine (9) regions have so far been given the capacity building and empowerment on the new guidelines documents and hope to cover all 16 regions of Ghana before the end of December 2022.

Earlier taking the PWDs through the revised edition of the document, Mr. Matthew Anor Kudom, the President of the Ghana Federation of Persons with Disabilities (GFPD) said the revision of the guidelines for management and disbursements of the PWDs’ common fund was undertaken by the National Council on Persons with Disability (NCPD) and the GFD.

The new guidelines, he said was a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGRD), Office of the Head of Local Government Service, (OHLGS), partners and the service users themselves through the GFD with technical assistance from the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie through the funding support of UK Aid. 

Mr. Kudom stated the collective efforts were towards improving the socioeconomic lives of the PWDs and was optimistic the new guide would help get rid of ghost names in the registration list of PWDs.

He, therefore, pleaded with the Members of Parliament to fast-track approval of the new guidelines by the end of December this year for effective operations from January 2023.

Agyeiwaa Suzan, a physically disabled applauded the initiative of the leadership of their organizations, saying the new fund management and disbursements guide is the best of all and would be much more beneficial to them when implemented.