Ejura Assembly Empowers 136 Persons with Disabilities Through Common Fund Support

The Ejura Sekyeredumasi Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region has extended support to 136 persons with disabilities under its 2025 District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) disbursement, providing beneficiaries with income-generating items, educational assistance and medical interventions aimed at fostering greater economic independence.

The support was financed through the three per cent share of the DACF legally set aside for persons with disabilities. Items distributed included deep freezers, sachet water and coolers for trading, assorted provisions, cash startup capital, laptops, school fees support, a wheelchair and funding for surgeries and other medical procedures.

Municipal Chief Executive Rafiu Adam Seidu explained that 81 beneficiaries were reached in the most recent phase, while an earlier round conducted in August 2024 had supported 55 others. "If you combine the total number of beneficiaries for the 2025 Common Fund, 136 people with disabilities benefited from the programme," he said. He added that 15 beneficiaries each received GH₵3,000 in cash as startup capital for new businesses.

The MCE disclosed that financial constraints had initially hampered full implementation, prompting the assembly to seek additional backing from the area's Member of Parliament, Alhaji Mohammed Bawah Braimah, who contributed part of his own Common Fund allocation to procure extra items. The Municipal Director of Social Welfare, Abdul Shakur Mutawakil, confirmed that income-generation interventions alone cost over GH₵230,000, with educational and medical support amounting to GH₵18,500 and GH₵19,800 respectively.

Mr Seidu noted that the municipality has more than 900 registered persons with disabilities, some of whom currently depend on street begging. "We want to take these people from the streets to become economically viable, establish businesses and create employment opportunities for others," he said, urging recipients to use the assistance responsibly to build lasting livelihoods.

The Social Welfare Department announced it would conduct monitoring visits within three months to evaluate how beneficiaries are utilising the support, with findings set to inform future allocations. One beneficiary, Maame Ama Gyasiwaa of Sekyeredumasi, said the provisions she received would meaningfully expand her existing shop and help her care for her elderly parents.