The former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba is calling on all well-meaning Ghanaians, to contribute at least GH₵3.00 in support of procuring wheelchairs and walking aids for Persons Living With Disability (PWDs).

 The idea of each person contributing at least GH₵3.00, is to enable the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation procure 16,000 wheelchairs and walking aids for PWDs, which many of them are unable to afford.

Madam Otiko who is the founder and Executive Director of the Foundation, made the appeal for people to come out from their free will to donate towards procuring the wheelchairs to make PWDs mobility possible.  

She said the cost of a wheelchair is estimated at GH₵550.00 and since not all of them are in the position to afford it, a donation of GH₵3.00 per person will go a long way to augment the Foundation’s effort to reach these vulnerable groups in society.

The agenda is to procure 1000 wheelchairs for each of the 16 regions of the country, hence individuals can contribute their quota to 0248510067.   

Her call for support to reach each region with 16,000 wheelchairs was echoed while backing on a float with a number of PWDs through some selected principal streets of Accra today.  

“Today is a historic day in the life of the physical challenged. For the first time in a history of Ghana a float, I called “Wheelchair and walk float” has been organised by the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, with 300 physical challenged persons and other persons with disabilities,” Madam Otiko said. “It is all in the realisation of the dream, 1000 wheelchair per region.”

The Foundation’s Executive Director explained that the goal of the float is also to press home their demand that the country cannot develop while leaving some people out.

Currently, she said there are about 734, 000 in the country, therefore, they also matter in every decision that is taken.

Madam Otiko also warned that disability is not peculiar to anyone’s family or person, as it can be gotten through childbirth, medication, accident, old age and from birth, adding that everyone is at risk of having physical challenge, therefore, PWDs must not be despised.  

The float was organised in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

By Akutu Dede Adimer