Report On Interface Meeting Between District Authorities and Leaders of DPO’s and SHG’s Executives

Background/Introduction

The Foundation for Community Empowerment Programme (FOCEP) is in partnership with Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (GSD) with funding from UKAID is implementing an intervention dubbed: Promoting Disability Inclusive Development (PDID) in the Mamprungu Moagduri District of the North East Region of Ghana.

Ghana Somubi Dwumadie (Ghana Participation Programme) is a four-year disability programme in Ghana, with a specific focus on mental health. This programme is funded by UK aid from the UK government.

As part of the mandate of FOCEP within the first quarter, the project Organized an interface meeting between DPOs, SHGs and District Authorities to discuss matters affecting Persons with disabilities (PWD) and Persons with mental health conditions in the Mamprugu Moagduri District of the North East Region of Ghana. The expected outcome of the activity is to enhanced knowledge of decentralized heads of departments on disability and mental health issues to influence inclusive planning.

Participation

It is gratifying to note that, under this activity, a total number of 52 stakeholders participated in the interface meeting as against 50 stakeholders planned for the period. Below is the segregation of the participants.

Situational updates on disability rights in the district

Human rights violations, quality of care and support for persons with disability and people with mental, psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, have in recent times been issues of major concern among stakeholders in health, education and agriculture. This has pecked-up FOCEP to inject some positive drive into dealing with the issues of human rights violations to improve service delivery for persons with disability and persons with mental health conditions.

In addressing the participants, the Chief of Yagaba expressed his appreciation to FOCEP for choosing Mamprugu Moagduri District to implement this project. He bemoaned the human rights abuses and inhumane practices meted out to persons with mental health conditions and persons with disability within the district.

He was however hopeful of the attempts made by various stakeholders to curb these abuses and expressed his support and wish to see excellent collaboration between duty bearers and persons with disability and mental health disability. He also encouraged members of DPO’s and SHG’s to contact him if they need lots of land to establish a resource Centre that would enhance community development.

The District Coordinating Director remarked that the move to clamp down on human rights abuses and improve societal respect for persons with disability and mental health condition rights has been given impetus with the implementation of this project aimed at promoting inclusive development. He urged the leadership of DPO’s and SHG’s to bear with them as they put things in place to address their concerns.

Issues affecting persons with disability and persons with mental health conditions

1. Lack of transparency in the disbursement of the Disability fund,
2. Lack of employment opportunities within Youth Employment Agency for persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions.
3. Lack of special education teachers to handle children with disabilities,
4. Lack of mental health officers at the Yagaba, Kubori,  Loagri  Jadema, and Yikpabongo health Centre’s
5. shortage of psychotropic and anti-epileptic drugs in the District
6. Lack of access to agricultural inputs to enter into farming
7. Discrimination, stigmatization, derogatory names and abuses of persons with disability and persons with mental health disabilities in our homes and communities
8. Lack of financial support for the PWDs and PWMHD ladies
9. Political polarization of the disability fund where the fund is disbursed to persons with disabilities who belong to one political party
10. Lack of skills training centre for PWD’s to undertake apprenticeship training

Way forward

PWDs and PWMHD would be linked to other supporting programmes and market access interventions like the subsides fertilizer under the government planting for food and jobs to enable them to also produce.

The District Director of MOFA entreated PWDs and PWMHD who are into farming to form groups and register with them to facilitate access to inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, tractor services and extension services.

The District Director for the social welfare department outlined the processes involved in accessing the Disability Common Fund and request that PWDs and PWMHD apply to the office for financial support from the common fund allocated to them so that they can pursue their priority business.

The District Electoral Officer also indicated that his outfit has been employing persons with disability in the national election’s exhibitions, however they would do more by recruitment more PWDs next time. He appealed to PWDs and PWMHDs to submit their applications to him for consideration.

The DCE appealed to PWDs and PWMHDs to exercise patience and collaborate with the District Assembly and wait for the reconstitution of the District Assembly by the government of the day. He assured them that, the Disability Common Fund shall be disbursed to all of them who would apply for it. He implored all to let bygones be gone and focus on the future.

With respect to lack of transparency and accountability mechanism in the disbursement of the Disability FOCEP is to facilitate another engagement meeting with the leadership of DPO’d/SHG’s with the District Chief Executive, District Coordinating Director and District Director of Department of Social Welfare to find sustainable solutions to Disability Fund to enhance transparency and accountability at the district level.

The leaders of the DPO’s and SHG’s appealed to FOCEP to facilitate health screen programme for them.

FOCEP Executive Director, Solomon Akanpisi, indicated that FOCEP would facilitate formation and revival of the various DPOs and SHGs in the various communities within the district. FOCEP will also facilitate persons with disability and persons with mental health conditions to have access to referral pathways. He added that FOCEP would further facilitate a safeguarding training for the PWDs and PWMHDs.

Conclusion

In his closing remarks, Mr Akanpisi, emphasized that FOCEP supports Persons with Disabilities and their Representative Organizations call for “Nothing About Us Without Us” slogan. He explained that the slogan relies on the principle of participation, and has been used as the motto and guiding principle of Disabled People’s Organizations over the years as part of the global movement to achieve full participation and equalization of opportunities for, by and with persons with disabilities.

Acknowledgements

The Foundation for Community Empowerment Programme [FOCEP] is grateful to Ghana Sumubi Gwumadie and their donor partners UKAID for the financial and technical support during the commencement of this partnership to date.

We are equally thankful to our local partners and stakeholders who contributed their time and knowledge to make this implementation successful.

Finally, we are grateful to the Almighty God for His continuous guidance and protection during the first phase of implementation of project activities.

Compiled by:

Enoch Dokurugu

(Project Officer)