From Sammy Asare, Ahafo Kenyasi.
The Asutifi North District Assembly (ANDA) in Ahafo Region has organized a two(2)-day workshop for the members of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) in the district on COVID-19 pandemic to help them fight against the virus.
The two(2)-day workshop cayegorised into two(2) zones namely Kenyasi and Gambia to meet the social distancing protocol was to enlightened the members of NAD in the district on COVID-19 which is a global pandemic and attacking people irrespective of complexion, age, stature, nationality among others.
The District Health Directorate behind the advocacy ensured that participants were well abreast in hand washing, sanitizing the hands, wearing of face mask and adhering to the social distancing protocol to help them stay away from the coronavirus.
The Public Health Nurse(Juliana .A. Mensah), Disease Control Officer(Sallam Dampark) and Health Promotion Officer(Abiba Sulle) for the District Health Directorate urged them to go spread the message acquired to their colleagues who could not part-take in the two-day workshop due to the social distancing measure.
The beneficiaries after having the indepth of COVID-19 related issues had the chance to ask questions for clarity, demonstrate how to wash their hands, sanitizing the hands and fixing of face mask with a sign interpreter present translating everything to them.
The President of Ghana Federation of Disability Organization(GFDO) for Asutifi North District, Elder Kofi Sekyere, thanked the managers of the assembly for factoring members of NAD in the district concerning advocacy on COVID-19 which is no respecter of persons.
According to Mr. Sekyere he is extremely excited for the members of NAD who belong to GFDO because it seems most assemblies in the country have neglected them(NAD) amid COVID-19 pandemic which is rather unfortunate.
He explained that assemblies have centred the education of COVID-19 via radio stations, community information centres and vans but the truth is that members of NAD do not benefit from such initiative as a result of lack of sign interpreters.
” If you neglect NAD members on COVID-19 advocacy, you does it at your own risk” Elder Sekyere told assemblies in Ghana.
He said, for his district(ANDA) to staged such workshop for NAD members after he submitted a proposal to the managers( District Chief Executive, Coordinating Director, Finance Officer, Planning Officer, Head of Social Welfare) of the district is a plus so other assemblies must emulate to help members of NAD who are also as risk concerning COVID-19. This will mean no one is left behind.
Elder Kofi Sekyere urged the leaders of GFDO at all assemblies to confront the managers to let them know the need to organize COVID-19 advocacy workshop for members of NAD. He revealed that some leaders of GFDO have started confronting him on how to draft such proposal and it is a brilliant step.
After the workshop the assembly distributed hand sanitizers and face masks to all participants and urged them to purchase more to keep them safe from the dreadful virus which keeps infecting people on daily basis.
