The money presented constitutes 75 per cent of the cost of buying eight motorbikes, 16 computers and16 printers as part of efforts to ease the organisations’ means of transport, communication and administrative work.
“This gesture is being done as part of SWEB’s institution development programme with our partner organisations and their counterpart district branches of the Ghana Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities,” Mr David Norden Botwey, the Executive Director of SWEB Foundation said.
He expressed the hope that the donation would mitigate the financial stress faced by three out of its 28 partners, in view of the substantial donor funding cut to many organisations in the country after Ghana was categorised as a middle-income country a couple of years ago.
The foundation has said it expected the beneficiary organisations to improve upon the quality of their work with the disabled children and youth and their parents who they worked with, improve upon their data gathering and report.
“With the motorbikes, we expect the frequency of field visits and contact hours with the end beneficiaries for their services, which are the disabled children and youth and their partners, to remarkably improve,” he said.
The organisations which received what they described as landmark assistance from a local Non-governmental organisation, comprised SAVE Ghana, based in Tumu, which had GHC20, 000, Mobility Foundation in Tamale got GHC30,000, while Better Life Organisation (BELO) based in Kajebi in the Volta Region received GHC30,000.
The recipient districts are Sisala West and Sisala East to be supported by Save Ghana; Nanumba North, Nanumbea South and Amansie West in Ashanti through Mobility Foundation and Kadjebi, Nkwanta-South and Kranchi Nchumurum through BELO.
The three partner organisations are expected to make up the counterpart funding of 25 per cent of the cost of items earmarked for purchase of the motorbikes, computers and printers.
“Each district’s branch of the Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, in the eight recipient districts will receive a set of desk-top computer and printer,” Mr Botwey said, while, “the motor bikes will go directly to the CBR programmes.”
“This gesture is being extended as part of SWEB’s institution development programme with our partner organisations and their counterpart district branches of the Ghana Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities,” he said.
Mr Botwey said the Foundation would continue to pursue the process of material and human resource development with their partners in tune with its vision, mission and strategic objectives.
He explained that as part of a national programme to raise funds to help achieve their stated mission, they had embarked on a 10k Patrons project to register 10,000 donors in the country and beyond who would commit to supporting the SWEB with financial donations annually.
“We take the opportunity to appeal to all well-meaning Ghanaians who share in our vision to support the noble cause we have embarked upon by registering as members of the 10K Patrons project,” he said.
Mr Kwasi Darkwa, the Director of Finance and Administration, noted that the dwindling donor aid particularly, to organisations championing the cause of disabilities in the country was a worrying development, thus triggering SWEB to diversify its funding sources through the 10K Patron project.
He urged corporate bodies and benevolent individuals to support the cause of the foundation to reach out to numerous persons with disabilities facing social, economic and legal barriers that undermined their freedom to live and enjoy a normal live.
The SWEB Foundation is a disability-focused non-governmental organisation committed to promoting the rights and social inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ghana.
The Foundation became the strategic partner organisation of Liliane Foundation of the Netherlands in 2012, to collaborate and implement child assistance programmes in Ghana through partner organizations. The latest support was also aided by MIVA –oneMen, a Dutch charity organisation.
Source: GNA
