The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) today disbursed livelihood support to 64 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) under the Disability Component of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). The Department of Social Welfare and Community Development facilitated the distribution, providing beneficiaries with a range of income‑generating equipment and financial support tailored to their business aspirations after a thorough assessment.
Recipients received industrial sewing machines, chest freezers, laptops and other tools of trade, along with cash to help them start or expand their enterprises. Mayor Richard Kwasi Ofori Boadi Agyemang personally presented the items at a short ceremony, urging the beneficiaries not to sell the equipment but to use it as a springboard for financial independence and dignity.
"This support is a clear statement that government believes everyone, regardless of physical ability, deserves the opportunity to build a better, more independent and dignified life," the mayor said. He added that the aid should become a sustainable source of income for the recipients and their families.
Beyond the one‑off distribution, the mayor outlined a long‑term vision: a state‑of‑the‑art Skills Development and Empowerment Centre exclusively for PWDs. He has formally proposed the idea to the Ghana Federation of Disability (GFD) and the Social Welfare Department, seeking a strategic exit from over‑reliance on the Common Fund.
The KMA is ready to commit land for the project, while the GFD would cede about 20 percent of its quarterly DACF allocation as seed capital. The centre would be fully owned and managed by the GFD to ensure true empowerment and self‑determination. Once established, the mayor plans to link the facility directly to the Assembly’s procurement system, awarding contracts such as city guard uniforms to the federation’s tailors, thereby keeping money within the community.
Metropolitan Director Esther Apraku Nyarko revealed that 186 PWDs have benefited from the Disability Common Fund from January 2025 to October 2026, with 65 supported in 2025 and 121 in 2026. She noted that most beneficiaries have put the equipment and capital to productive use, thanks to timely fund releases and an upward review of the allocation.
Ghana Federation of Disability President Francis Asamoah Baffour thanked KMA and the government for the continued support, pledging intensified monitoring to ensure all items and funds are used for their intended purposes. The ceremony ended with beneficiaries expressing profound gratitude to the KMA and government for the intervention.
