Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called for a collective effort to help eradicate barriers to the lives of the vulnerable and impoverished in the country.
According to him, the government will continue to encourage and partner with private sector organisations in the quest to meet the needs of the disabled and disadvantaged to ensure greater societal inclusion.
Dr Bawumia the Vice President made the statement on Saturday, June 25, 2022, in Accra when he joined a fundraising dinner organized by the Charismatic Evangelistic Ministry (CEM) for the establishment of the CEM Ability Village.
The philanthropic programme aimed at providing a model to support Persons Living With Disability (PWD) through access to three main areas: Health and Social care; Education and Training; and Enhancing Economic Activities.
“We are therefore witnessing a fine example of responsibility sharing and this calls for our overwhelming support as government, organizations and individuals. We need to support this private and social sector led initiative which is a perfect example of forging a partnership with the government to address critical issues facing this vulnerable group to create more inclusive communities.
“As a Government, we will continue to address the various challenges of PWDs head-on. We all need to put our hands on the wheel and work to remove all obstacles facing our brothers and sisters. Let us tap into our human nature and give out our resources to lift them up.
“It is my firm belief that with the collective support of social and economic actors, the active participation of the various representative associations gathered here, we shall collectively achieve more for this vulnerable group” he explained.
Making a passionate appeal to individuals, corporate institutions and all persons concerned about the wellbeing of PWDs to make life better for them, Dr Bawumia said it is now time to match the walk with the talk.
“I believe that supporting the CEM Ability Village is our civic and moral responsibility. Let us all rise to the occasion. Every life matters and we should not leave anyone behind,” he emphasised.
According to officials of the church, the CEM Ability Village will have an Empowerment Centre to provide Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and other skills training to address the employment challenges of PWDs.
It will also have an Advocacy, Counselling, Guidance and Information service; assisted living and affordable housing support, and support for PWDs to venture into agriculture.
To ensure the vision is translated to action, they noted the putting up of an ultra-modern hospital to cater for the specific needs of persons with disability;
Notwithstanding, a Technology centre will also be made available to assist the beneficiaries to focus on software development and hardware assembly and repair.
