TEERE and UER Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations conduct Performance Review on Disability Fund.

• November 7, 2017.
• Venue Upper East.

The disbursement and utilization of the Disability Funds has become problematic over the last couple of years. The Upper East Region, the second poorest in the country is saddled with several challenges noticeable among them high poverty rates amongst persons with disability within the region.

TEERE and UER GFD therefore undertook a performance review of beneficiaries in 7 districts. This is to verify that funds disbursed by the various Assemblies reached the intended beneficiaries and also to find out how the beneficiaries utilised the funds. It was also to ascertain how impactful the funds have had on the lives of its beneficiaries after 12 years of implementation.

The performance review exercise started in the Kassena-Nankana West District and ended at the Garu-Tempane District. The beneficiaries were interviewed on various issues including the amount received, what it was used for and whether the amount was sufficient for the intended purpose for which they applied.

A snapshot of the problems that were highlighted during our visits to both the beneficiaries and the Assemblies are as follows;

• In some of the districts, the social welfare officers together with some staff of the Assemblies take decisions as to what to give PWDs on behalf of the DFMC without recourse to the policy guidelines.
• Some beneficiaries did not receive the approved amounts from the Assemblies as captured on Assemblies’ document such as Memos and Payment vouchers.
• Funds given to some beneficiaries are insufficient and cannot make any impact in the lives of PWDs and their families.
• Most of these beneficiaries except beneficiaries in Tertiary institutions still live in poverty after 12 years of this fund.

TEERE and UER GFD are far gone into the analysis of the data acquired from the communities as well as documents gotten from the various Assemblies. The final report would be published on our website.

This project is implemented with funding from French Embassy in Ghana.