Women’s Health to Wealth, a non-governmental organisation operating in the Ashanti and Bono regions, has donated 48 P.E.T. small carts, specially designed wheelchairs, to the Ashanti Regional Education Directorate.

The donation aims to support children with mobility challenges, enabling them to pursue their education with dignity and respect.

This initiative forms part of the organisation’s efforts to improve the health and well-being of students with physical and mobility needs and to increase their enrollment in schools across the Ashanti Region.

In an interview during the donation on Monday June 16, the founder and executive director of Women’s Health to Wealth, Nana Abenaa Akuamoa-Boateng, emphasised that though the organisation primarily focuses on the health and well-being of women and girls, it also takes a keen interest in supporting children with mobility challenges.

She explained that providing equipment like the P.E.T. carts helps address one of their major barriers, movement, thereby facilitating school attendance and promoting a dignified life for these children as they enjoy their right to education.

“One of the issues we have observed, aside from our main focus on women and girls, is that disadvantaged children, especially those with physical disabilities, face significant difficulties in getting to and staying in school, largely because most of our schools are not disability-friendly,” she noted.

She further stated, “While there have been numerous initiatives by the government and organisations like UNICEF to make schools more inclusive, a major challenge remains for children who are unable to walk or have difficulty getting to school. Many of them are forced to crawl, which is not a dignified way of treating human beings. Unfortunately, children can be insensitive and may laugh at or tease these students, which often results in them dropping out of school due to emotional distress. Others, after enduring such unfriendly conditions for a while, simply give up and never return.”

Nana Abena Akuamoa-Boateng added, “We believe that being physically disabled does not mean being mentally disabled, and these children deserve all the support they need. We also extend our assistance to women with mobility challenges, so they can carry out income-generating activities rather than resort to begging.”

Family members and teachers of one of the beneficiaries, Sulemana Mohammed, a seven-year-old KG1 pupil at Asempanaye D/A Primary School in the Offinso North District, shared how he used to crawl to school. They described the mobility challenges he faced since his enrollment and expressed excitement about the specially designed wheelchair, which they believe will boost his confidence and increase his enthusiasm for learning.

The Ashanti Regional Education Director, Dr. William Kwame Amankrah Appiah, who received the items on behalf of the Directorate, commended the NGO for its generous gesture. He expressed confidence that the intervention would help increase the enrollment of students with mobility challenges and foster a greater sense of belonging in schools.

So far, Women’s Health to Wealth has supported over 200 children with mobility aids and provided wheelchairs to about 300 women with movement challenges. The organization has also made significant contributions to improving girls’ education and health, creating a safe and empowering environment for women and girls in the region.