Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Upper East Region are calling on government to rehabilitate the abandoned disability rehabilitation center which was established to train them to become self-reliant
According to them, the center has been abandoned for the past eight years, making it difficult for most of them to earn a living.
The disability rehabilitation center, sited in Bolgatanga, was established in 1976 to train persons with disabilities in various fields including shoemaking, leather work, dressmaking, weaving and ropework, among other things.
But the center was closed down in 2010 due to the facility’s broken down equipment and government’s failure to provide trainees with feeding grants.
The dormitories for both men and women, as well as the kitchen, are all in a dilapidated state with broken windows and doors.
Speaking to Citi News, some beneficiaries lamented that the facility, which has provided them with a source of livelihood over the years, has not been rehabilitated to cater for the large numbers of unskilled persons with disabilities who have been out of work for the past eight years.
Abu Issaka said, “About 8 years ago the school was closed. Look at some of our members roaming, they don’t have any skills. Where are they going? It’s affecting us. There are more persons with disabilities but schooling is not favouring them so they have to learn a trade, but where? We want government to revamp and reopen the school for us.”
“They say the disabled should not go about begging but when you ask those begging why they are not at the disability rehabilitation center for skills training, they tell you the center has been closed. We want to ask the [President], is he aware of the closure of the centre or not? Are we also human beings in the world? If we are, then it is good for government to help us by opening the school. So, we are crying for the government to rehabilitate and open the school for our members to also benefit,” Ayine Adongo lamented.
But the manager of the center, Hamidu Mohammed Aminu hinted that plans are far advanced to rehabilitate the facility.
He stated that the deal for the rehabilitation works on the center has been awarded to a contractor who will soon commence work after which the school will be reopened.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
