Children with special needs to benefit from LEAP next year

Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection (GCSP) Gifty Twum-Ampofo has announced that her Ministry will expand the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme next year to include children with special needs.

The Deputy Minister announced this at Sumburungu, a suburb of Bolgatanga during her working visit to the Upper East Region.

According to her, the expansion was aimed at alleviating the poverty levels of parents of children with special needs go through.

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“Even if a household is well to do or they have a child who is cerebral palsy or highly autistic, such a child needs to be on LEAP. At least the mother will have a little money to buy diapers, because mothers like that could hardly leave their homes for 24 hours because of the child’s condition”

The Deputy Minister who doubles as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Abuakwa North also announced some changes LEAP was embarking on and said some beneficiaries who had been on LEAP for some number of years would be weaned off.

She clarified the decision and said “not because a new government has come, so we want to take their names out. No, it is because they may not be as needy as they used to be”.

LEAP since its inception in 2008 has supported the aged and vulnerable in society through cash and entrepreneurial support. In the Bolga Municipality, a total of 292 beneficiaries from Dachio, Dubila, Kolbia and Aguusi communities are benefiting from the programme.

Mrs Twum-Ampofo entreated the beneficiaries to prudently utilise the money given to them in order to help improve their livelihoods.

“You should use the money for some investments. Those who are into craftworks can buy materials to boost their business to improve their standards of living”

A beneficiary, Aduko Atogetege said the programme had aided her in taking care of her son’s education up to the JHS level.

Another beneficiary, Ayin-ita Ayarika thanked government for absorbing the cost of registering and renewing their health insurance under the programme.