Ghana Somubi Dwumadie Grantee Progress Report

Promoting Disability Inclusive Development (PDID).

Small Grants Round Two (Evidence and effectiveness grants for mental health and disability inclusion)

Not Applicable

akanpisisolomon@gmail.com

0546005805

Project Outcomes:

1. Increased awareness and responsiveness of stakeholders on disability issues to remove negative barriers

2. Enhanced knowledge of Decentralized Heads of departments on disability and mental health issues to influence inclusive planning

3. Empowered PWD’s and PWMHD’s for community sustainability

How has your project performed during the quarter?

Describe in not more than one page the progress made towards the project goal and objectives by highlighting key achievements during the quarter. Analyze the progress against the targets in the results framework.

During the period under review, the project implementation team organized a training workshop on disability rights and inclusion for 50 stakeholders (13 females and 37 males) consisting of religious and traditional leaders as well as executive members of DPO’s and SHG’s. This activity was successfully carried out with a success rate of 100% because 50 stakeholders were earmarked according to the plan which has been achieved. The chiefs, queen mothers, religious leaders and executive members of the various DPO’s and SHG’s were excited with the training because their capacities have been built and they are well-equipped with appropriate knowledge to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and persons with mental health disabilities to enhance inclusive development. The participants were full of excitement to FOCEP for making available the Disability and mental health Acts to them for the first time after many years of its existence to serve as a reference document to guide them in their advocacy work in their respective communities.

Another major achievement chalked by the project is the successful implementation of the community radio discussion programme to create awareness on disability and mental health disability issues to enhance inclusion at all levels of society. The project management team developed an MOU with radio YK FM located in Yagba and the radio discussions has since commenced. The project implementation team also organized a training session for radio panellist to guide them as a measure to enhance their communication and advocacy skills. A total of 50 panellist made up of persons with disabilities and persons with mental health disabilities were trained according to plan thereby attaining a success rate of 100%. A total of 13 radio airtime slots were planned within the first quarter 11 slots were achieved representing 85% success rate. The underperformance is due to the late start of the project implementation and procedural bottlenecks regarding the signing of MOU between FOCEP and YK FM.

Equally important milestone achievement chalked by the project implementation team is the effective organization of the monthly and quarterly review meetings of the various DPO’s and SHG’s in the District. A total number of 5 DPO’s and two SHG’s were able to meet for their monthly and quarterly review meetings. During the review meeting the following pertain issues were discussed: group dynamics, effective utilization of the Disability Fund, safeguarding issues, referral pathways and effective engagement with duty bearers. The total number of people who participated were 50 persons with disabilities (32) and persons with mental health conditions (18) against 50 planned for the period representing 100% success rate.

The project implementation team within the period organized capacity development training on inclusive education for 53 executives of DPO’s and SHG’s as well as some selected classroom teachers. The project team over-achieved its targets by training 53 participants as against 50 participants planned for the period representing 106% success rate. The participants were taking through basic principles of the inclusive education policy, physical accessibility, basic teaching and learning materials for children with special needs and the right of a child with disability to education

In addition, the project implementation team organized an interface meeting between DPOs, SHGs and District Authorities on matters affecting PWDs in the Mamprugu-Moaduri District as a measure to ensure equal rights and opportunities for the persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions. This platform gave the PWD’s and PWMHD’s the opportunities to ask duty bearers certain pertinent questions in respect to their needs such as: employment opportunities within Youth Employment Agency, lack of transparency in the disbursement of the Disability fund, lack of special education teachers to handle children with disabilities, lack of mental health officers and shortage of psychotropic and anti-epileptic drugs among others. Under this activity the project implementation team over-performed by organizing 52 stakeholders for the interface meeting as against 50 stakeholders planned for the period.

(activities achieved over the period)

There exist no variance under the radio panellist training.

Source and how figures provided were computed

(see footnote)

(see footnote)

One major unintended outcome, during the project intervention is the identification of children with disabilities through some stakeholders whose were hiding them. FOCEP has registered and referred these children to see a specialist to assess their disabilities. The children have since been diagnosed and asked to undertake X Ray for further assessment for corrective surgeries to be done by an orthopaedic surgeon. FOCEP project implementation team will continue to follow up to ensure that the children are sent by their parents for appropriate medical intervention.

Another unintended results/outcome attained during the project implementation, is the District Director for Food and Agriculture requesting for data base of all persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions who are interested in agriculture to enable the department of Food and Agriculture include them in the government flagship programme of Planting for Food and Jobs in the next planting season to ensure that PWD’s and PWMHD’s benefit from the initiative.

The interface meeting led to the attainment of a very important unintended results/outcome with respect to the disbursement of the disability fund. The District Coordinating Director and some departmental directors have agreed to meet with the leadership of the various DPO’s and SHG’s to have an in depth discussions with the District Chief Executive (DCE) on how to ensure transparency and accountability of the disability fund. However, the leadership of the DPO’s and SHG’s proposed that the engagement should be held when the President of Ghana appoints the various MMDCE’s since this will help whoever is appointed as the DCE to appreciate the enormity of the concerns raised and also understand the plight of the PWD’s as far as the disability fund management is concerned. In view of this, this engagement will be held immediately the DCE is appointed and confirmed by the Assembly.

Another successful strategy adopted which also yielded positive results is our advocacy intervention by using the participatory approach of beneficiaries and allowing persons with disabilities and persons with mental health disabilities to own and lead the advocacy engagements especially the radio program.

Another lesson learnt is that traditional authorities are willing to play leading roles in advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities and mental health conditions to promote inclusive society.

The radio panellist discussions are being led by persons with disabilities and persons with mental health disabilities in advocating for their fundamental human rights. In addition, in most community mobilization initiatives, the persons with disabilities lead the process.

The project implementation team as part of measures to promote women participation, involved queen mothers from all the participating communities to participate in most activities to enhance their participation. In addition, most caregivers are women and so the project implementation also made sure that they are well represented to enhance their participation.

The project implementation team used local content participatory and inclusive approach to its project interventions by ensuring that all strategic stakeholders such as the chiefs, queen mothers, heads of departments of the District Assembly, women’s groups, persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions were all adequately consulted and briefed about the overall goal and objectives of the project. This approach has led to high participation of all the stakeholders thereby producing positive results.

The project management team as part of measures to ensure judicious use of resources established a three member procurement committee to ensure value for money. The committee has been able to negotiate to reduce prices of snacks and food to enable more participants to participate in activity implementations without compromising with quality of the service. The burnt rate of funds spent is about  55.18%

The project implementation team used the best strategies to engage with stakeholders to ensure that positive results are attained. For instance the project inception meeting target was met. The religious and traditional leader’s workshop training target was also met. The capacity building training of DPO’s/SHG’s and teachers target was exceeded. In addition, the interface meeting between DPO’s, SHG’s and district authorities exceeded its target. The monthly/quarterly review meetings were organized and target set was attained. The radio panellist training was successfully organized and target met.

The procurement team negotiated for a reduction in the prices of snack and lunch which is always used to cater for the excess participants during activity implementation.

The project implementation team focuses more attention on persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions in all its activity implementation to ensure that their needs are addressed. In addition, the project implementation team also focuses more attention on disadvantage communities or hard to reach communities to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions. Again to ensure equity, the Youth Employment Agency has assured persons with disabilities to give them employment opportunities irrespective of their disability once they have the qualification and productive capacity to work.

As part of measures to consolidate the gains of the project intervention after the end of the project, the project implementation team is closely working in collaboration with the various DPO’s, SHG’s, Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Commission on Administrative and Human Rights, District Assembly, traditional and religious leaders, women’s groups, Community based organizations and relevant NGO’s to enable this organizations to own the project interventions so that after the end of the project they can facilitate the continuity of the interventions.

Another feedback received from a beneficiary is that if you know your rights you can demand for what is due you and you can also hold duty bearers accountable if they do not live up to expectation in the discharged of their duties.

You can add more lines if needed

No reported case

The implementation team will request for regular field monitoring visits to project sites to assess progress of activity implementation and also to provide technical assistance to the implementing partner.