MTN Ghana Foundation has supported 17 selected members of Persons living with Disabilities (PWDs) under it’s Economic Empowerment Project agenda.

The telecommunication company provided the financial assistance through the initiative to the beneficiary PWDs in Ashanti, after two months training in small and medium Enterprises.

The MTN Ghana Foundation in partnership with Innohub Foundation through a 5-year project offering training to women, youth and Persons With Disabilities who own MSMEs on business development, financial management, social media among others.

The goal is to help participants grow their businesses, to enable them support themselves and their families through the creation of employment opportunities a well.

They (PWDs) add up to other 10 beneficiaries three (3) women and seven (7) youth of the Women-led and Youth-led categories respectively in the region who joined the training and received same financial support from MTN Foundation after the training

Mr Philip Kwasi Mensah, a forty year old beneficiary, and a physically challenged who in kente weaving as a profession and a resident of Agona of the Sekyere South District, on behalf of other beneficiaries expressed joy for receiving an amount of GHs 10,000, says as a person with disability, finding someone to assist him financially was a big challenge.

According to them, the money received will improve the quality of their products, enhance the branding of their business to enable them penetrate the job market.

He stated that, prior to the training, they were highly deficient of a number of skills and technical knowledged which they received through the initiative, adding that what they have received would go a long way in helping them towards the running of their business especially on financial management.

He disclosed that, most of their colleagues have learned a vocation but they lacked the financial muscles to start something, even financial institutions turn down their request, and are optimist that with the financial intervention from the MTN Ghana Foundation, they can start something.

He also described the training as laudable, says though most of his colleague beneficiaries are not elites, the training was brought down to their level to understand every concept that was thought, and disclosed that, so far a total of about one Hundred and forty (140), covering those in Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi benefitted from the project.

Cynthia Mills, Economic Empowerment Advisor- MTN Foundation, at the event told the media that the essence of the initiative is to create businesses and employment to improve the living standards of the less privileged in the society.

She is of the believe and hope that, e beneficiaries will enhance their profession with the financial support and create jobs towards job creation.

From Ernest Best Anane, Kumasi