On Friday, September 11, Dorcas Naa Korklu Afotey, founder of the Korklu Foundation, spoke at the CBG Disability Conference held at the Du Bois Centre in Cantonments. She urged the need for focused support to unlock the entrepreneurial capacity of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana.
Ms Afotey said the foundation’s commitment to empowering women, PWDs and children has led to this new initiative, describing it as one of its most significant projects. She noted that society often views PWDs merely as recipients of aid, yet many are already running businesses and are determined to improve their livelihoods.
“If we look at our PWDs, society always looks down on them,” she said. “All the people that came here today, they are all entrepreneurs. They have their work done.” She added that the real challenge is not a lack of ability or ambition, but the absence of adequate support to help these entrepreneurs scale their ventures.
To address this gap, Ms Afotey approached Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited (CBG) with a vision of practical assistance. CBG embraced the idea, creating a partnership that blends the foundation’s knowledge of PWD needs with the bank’s financial inclusion initiatives. The collaboration aims to strengthen existing enterprises rather than provide charity.
“With a little push or a little support, they can do better and move on,” Ms Afotey said. The partnership will offer tailored support to help PWD entrepreneurs build on what they already have, turning empowerment into tangible opportunities.
Looking ahead, the Korklu Foundation hopes to help PWDs recognize and develop their potential, turning ideas of empowerment into real economic participation.
