{
  "id": 12168272,
  "title": "KMA empowers 64 persons with disabilities, Mayor unveils plan for sustainable skills centre",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/kma-empowers-64-persons-with-disabilities-mayor-unveils-plan-for-12168272",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T13:56:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/kma-empowers-64-persons-with-disabilities-mayor-unveils-plan-for-sustainable-skills-centre/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has recently provided livelihood support to 64 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) as part of the Disability Component of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). This initiative, facilitated by the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, provided beneficiaries with income-generating equipment and financial assistance based on their specific needs and business ambitions. Mayor Richard Kwasi Ofori Boadi Agyemang presented these items during a ceremony and encouraged the recipients to utilize the support to achieve financial independence.\n\nMayor Agyemang expressed hope that the assistance would empower the beneficiaries and transform their lives, cautioning against selling the equipment to ensure long-term benefits. The Mayor also announced a long-term vision for PWDs in Kumasi – the establishment of a state-of-the-art Skills Development and Empowerment Centre exclusively for PWDs. He committed KMA land for the project and proposed that the Ghana Federation of Disability (GFD) contribute 20% of its quarterly DACF allocation to fund construction. Upon completion, the facility would be fully managed by the GFD to ensure self-determination and economic viability.\n\nThe envisioned centre will offer demand-driven programs in ICT and vocational skills such as leather works, fashion design, and sewing. Mayor Agyemang pledged to link the centre with the Assembly's procurement system, ensuring that government contracts benefit the PWDs' own skills development center. The Mayor is optimistic that this proposal will become a landmark legacy project, transforming skills development and economic fortunes of PWDs in the Ashanti Region.\n\nAs of October 2026, a total of 186 PWDs have benefited from the Disability Common Fund, with 65 beneficiaries supported in 2025 and 121 so far in 2026. The Metropolitan Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Mrs. Esther Apraku Nyarko, emphasized that most beneficiaries have been productive with the provided equipment and capital. The Kumasi Metro President of the Ghana Federation of Disability, Mr. Francis Asamoah Baffour, expressed gratitude to the KMA and the government for the ongoing support and assured strict monitoring to prevent any diversion of funds or equipment.",
  "summary": "In a major boost to inclusive development, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has disbursed livelihood support to 64 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) under the Disability Component of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). The intervention, facilitated through the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, saw beneficiaries receive a range of income-generating equipment and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "KMA empowers 64 persons with disabilities; Mayor unveils plan for sustainable skills centre",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/kma-empowers-64-persons-with-disabilities-mayor-unveils-plan-for",
        "published": "2026-10-05T12:55:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}