GFD direct more energy into accessing Common Fund

Frederick Asiamah

The Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) was established in 1987 as the national umbrella body of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana. Its mission is “To be an effective and efficient organization to create awareness about the capacities and capabilities of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and to promote the equalization of opportunities of PWDs through advocacy, lobbying and collaboration with other relevant agencies.”

Presently, the GFD is comprised of six “independent nation-wide organizations” of PWDs, namely: the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD); the Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB); the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD); the Parents Association of Children with Intellectual Disability (PACID); the Society of Albinos – Ghana (SOAG); and the Share Care Ghana.

Activities

GFD’s broad area of focus is Advocacy, which aims at influencing national policies and programmes for full inclusion and active participation of PWDs. Several activities and programmes take place in this regard. These include: awareness creation/sensitization, capacity building of its members, and networking with relevant organizations.

Presently, the Federation is running three advocacy and capacity building projects concurrently. These are the Joint Danida/GFD Project, a Capacity Building and a Sensitization programme for Chief Executives of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

The sensitization programme for M/DCEs is particularly dear to the GFD because it seeks to address the biggest problem facing the Federation and its constituents. Titled “Increasing access and efficiency in the disbursement of Persons with Disabilities share of District Assembly Common Fund (DACF)”, the project is expected to untie the knots in the disbursement process of the DACF.

The project, which started in January 2009, is being implemented in one selected district from each region. The selected districts have been put into zones, namely: Northern zone (Jirapa, Zebilla, Bole, and Berekum); and Southern zone (Birim Central, Hohoe, Winneba, Takoradi, Danbge West and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly).

Presently, what should be going on is the introduction of the project to local government authorities comprising district coordinating directors, district planning officers, district budget officers and district social welfare officers in the ten selected districts. “We need to let district authorities know what is going to happen in their districts,” Miss Rita Kyeremaa Kusi, the Executive Director of the GFD, told Public Agenda.

At the national level, the Federation has kept the Office of the Administrator of the DACF updated. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development are also penciled for meetings against the background that they are the key institutions that together draft the guidelines for the utilization of the DACF.

The Federation has also planned meetings with the various cross disability groups in the districts as part of the introductions.

Going forward, the capacity building aspect of the project will entail training and sensitization of PWDs and District authorities on the DACF and other disability related issues. According to Miss Kyeremaa Kusi, training for PWDs will centre on project proposal writing, business management and advocacy (including how to engage the media).

Still, another aspect of the 12-month project is a fortnight engagement with the media through press conferences and radio/TV programmes. These engagements will be used as platforms to praise district chief executives who allow PWDs access to their share of the DACF.

Ultimately, the project should result in the institution of “efficient and transparent disbursement procedures” for the PWD Common Fund. In addition, PWDs should have been equipped with skills in advocacy, lobbying and basic communication. Another key expected outcome should be the development of “guidelines/modalities for accessing DACF” which should be “adopted nationally for use.”

Funding

The GFD has enjoyed tremendous financial support from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Disabled Peoples’ Organisations – Denmark (DPOP). The Disability Rights Fund is also funding a capacity building project. It has also received other forms of support from several local and international development partners including the Action on Disability and Development (ADD), the Danish Association of the Physically Disabled, the Danish Association of the Blind (DAB), the Integrated Social Development Center (ISODEC), the Sight Savers International and the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

Its new donor is the Ghana Research and Advocacy Programme (G-RAP). In January 2009, the Federation secured a US$140,000 special project funding from G-RAP, which it is using to undertake the 12-month sensitization project for M/DCEs.

Achievements

Perhaps, the biggest achievement of the GFD was when consistent advocacy and lobbying by the Federation and its partners led to the passage of the National Disability Policy Document in December 2000 and subsequently the Disability Law (Act 715), in June 2006. The two documents address almost all the major disability concerns of the various organizations of persons with disability (OPWDs).

But almost three years after the passage of Act 715, government failed to establish the National Council on PWDs required by the law. When all seemed gloomy, the Federation and its allies made the council an election issue. Victory came in the first week of April 2009 when the Atta Mills administration inaugurated the Council based on its campaign promise to do so within a hundred days of assuming office.

Other successes include the inclusion of Disability as a thematic issue in the Growth and Poverty Reductions Strategy II (GPRS II).  Also, GFD advocated for the inclusion of the needs of PWDs in 2004 elections during which tactile balloting was introduced to facilitate independent voting of persons with visual impairment. This was replicated in the 2008 general elections.

The way forward

“The stage is presently set for a more vigorous and dynamic evidence-based advocacy,” according to the GFD. It enumerates its short to medium term priorities areas for advocacy as education, political representation, employment and disability awareness.

In pursuant of these goals, the GFD will need more support, especially core grant facilities from its donors. “As an organisation, we also think about sustainability,” says Miss Kyeremaa Kusi. She says the core grant has sustained them but “More importantly, it has added to the recognition that we already have as an organisation.” And, “It has enhanced our chances of receiving further donor support.”