‘Allocate special funds to PWDs entrepreneurs’
The President of the Ghana Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Entrepreneurs and Business Association, Mr Richard Offei, has called for the allocation of a special fund to support PWDs entrepreneurs.
He explained that the allocation of such a fund would help enhance the businesses of PWDs entrepreneurs and prevent those businesses from collapsing.
Mr Offei was speaking to journalists in an interview on the sideline at the launch of the persons with disabilities (PWDs) Entrepreneurs Empowerment Summit held in Accra on Wednesday.
Organised by the Ghana Persons with Disabilities Entrepreneurs and Business Association, the event was on the theme, ‘Empowering Persons with Disability through Entrepreneurship.’
It was aimed at Empowering PWD entrepreneurs in Ghana with the necessary skills, resources and support to succeed in their businesses by way of contributing to economic growth and inclusivity of the business community.
According to Mr Offei, most businesses owned by PWDs, including his fruit processing company which employed many of such persons had collapsed or on the verge of collapse due to lack of support from the society and the government.
“In Ghana, we, the people with disabilities have been left behind. Sometimes, the society, in a way try to sympathise with us, but that is not helping at all. It is not all PWDs that like to be on the street and beg. We have PWDs who have a straight business mind-set and have started something”, Mr Offei said.
“As PWDs, we do not need education. What we need is something that will empower us to make a meaningful contribution to society and the country at large. So, I will urge the government to allocate a special fund for PWDs when drawing up the budget to empower them in their businesses”, he added.
The Transformative Manager of Opportunity International Savings and Loans, Mrs Diana Zachary Karikari, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to promoting socio-economic development for Persons With Disabilities.
She emphasised the bank’s belief that “disability is not inability” and highlighted initiatives such as granting an interest-free loan, disability-friendly banking halls and customer service across the nation, business support and life skills training for persons with disabilities and the expansion of training programmes for the youth and other groups.
For his part, the Executive Administrative Director of Ignite Business Innovations, Dr Daniel A Baidoo, commended the executives of Ghana PWDs Entrepreneurs and Business Association for their passion to supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Dr Baidoo reiterated the importance of entrepreneurship in promoting financial inclusion and reducing poverty, adding that, “Ghana PWB, and the business association has been a valued partner for years.”
Impressed by the products created by entrepreneurs with disabilities that were displayed at the launch, Dr Baidoo said that with proper support, they could excel beyond their able-bodied counterparts
He, therefore, encouraged the entrepreneurs to confront their challenges head-on and stand by their decisions for success
“In life, there are always challenges. People who run away from challenges, they can’t achieve their goals in life. But when you are able to confront the challenges head on, and you are able to overcome those challenges, then you can do much better”, he advised.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA
