Woezor!Bon Arrive'!Welcome to Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled(G.S.P.D.).


Women's Wing Eastern Region.

By Mrs Grateful-Miranda Sefakor A.K.Pomeyie

Motto. Together! We Stand!

Background of G.S.P.D:

The Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled is the National Organisation of people with physical disabilities,which exists to promote the welfare of its members by creating awareness and advocating and lobbying for their rights. Established in 1980,G.S.P.D. is a registered NGO(NO 54198).It has more than 9000 registered members,branches in all the 10 Regions of Ghana and more than 100 branches at the District and zonal levels.The Secretariat is located at the Social Welfare Rehabilitation Center in Accra(The Capital of Ghana).G.S.P.D has seven full time staff at the Secretariat and two foreign volunteers.

The Organisational Chart of G.S.P.D.

The National Delegates Assembly.
The Executive Committee.
The National Executive Board
The Workers Union,Women's Wing,Youth Wing and Sports Wing.
The Regional Branches.
The District Branches.
Local Branches.

The Structure of G.S.P.D..

G.S.P.D has a democratic structure of elected executive and committees at national, regional, district and zonal level.G.S.P.D. has four Wings.The Workers Union,The Women's Wing,The Youth Wing and The Sports Wing.Each Wing is mobilising members and doing activities in their special field,but all activities are under the Umbrella of G.S.P.D.
The National Executive Board(NEB) consists of the five voluntary nationally elected executive(President,Vice President,Secretary,Treasurer the Public Relation Officer and the National Administrator who is a Co-opted member.The same system is followed in the Executive Boards of the Wings.

The National Executive Committee consists of the five Executive Board,the ten regional chairpersons and the Presidents of the four Wings.

The National Secretariat is headed by the National Administrator who manages the day to day administration of the Secretariat as well as implementing the strategic plan of the organisation.
What we do: -Mobilisation of disabled people.
-Training in leadership,independent living,lobby and advocacy and vocational skills.
-Organising public meetings,rallies and Campaigning for the interest of disabled people in policies and programs.
-Researches.
-Sports,wheelchair basketball,table tennis,track and field,power lifting,swimming and amputee soccer.
-Guidance and counselling.
-Education/ sensitisation on disability issues.
-Distribution of wheelchais,food items and clothes.

Review of Achievements:

Celebrating its 27th anniversary,GSPD can look at many achievements.
-G.S.P.D is the only national organisation of people with physical disabilities,and has by far the widest reach of any organisation in this area.
-A major achievement is,G.S.P.D is still working and increasingly active.
-G.S.P.D.has a democratic structure with elections for all post at all levels of the Society.This has fostered true ownership of the Society for its members,and many have been members for many years.
-G.S.P.D. is nation wide in the sense that there are regional branches in all the ten regions of Ghana.This gives the Society a unique reach and legitimacy to speak on behalf of the physically disbled of Ghana.-
-Besides the 9000 registered members,many more are going to G.S.P.D. meetings or programs.
-G.S.P.D. has set up a school chalk production factory for two reasons.Firstly,as a model project for government and the private sector,and secondly as a source of employment for the members and income for the organisation.This initiative has own an award from the World Bank Development.The factory has supplied to the Ministry of Education 2006 and 2007. It has a standing order to supply 50,000 boxes every year to the Ministry of Education.

Advocacy through Radio:

G.S.P.D. and Ghana Association of the Blind in Collaboration with Radio Ada, a local radio station,establish the "Advocacy through radio"(ATR) project.
This project is to give the opportunity to the blind and the physically disabled in the local communities to be trained on news
broadcasting.This enables them to go on air to tell their own stories.

Some facts about disability in Ghana.

-Over 1.8 million people are estimated to be living with disability in Ghana.
-Women with disabilities suffer double descrimination on the grounds of gender and impairment.
-Disabled people are often seen as "objects" of pity and treated as second class citezens.
-Poverty is both the cause and consequencies of disability contributing to increasing vulnerability
and exclusion.
-Literacy rates are lower for people with disabilities compared to the rest of the population.
-25-40%(depending on region)are people with moving disabilities.
-The most common cause of disability are accidents,war,violence,malnutrition,birth,trauma,infectious
disease(such as polio and leprosy)and ageing..

The second fact above brought about the formation of Women's Wing in G.S.P.D.

Women's Wing


Background of the Women's Wing

This is one of the Wings which was established in 1997.It is made up of Women with Physical disabilities.
It has its branches in all the ten regions of Ghana as well as some of the Districts in the Regions.

Mission Statement

This Wing exists to promote the full participation and empowerment of the women with physical disabilities
at the regional and district levels of G.SP.D. in Ghana.

Goals

The main goal of the Women's Wing is to empower its members to be productive and contribute positively
to the society in which they are, and make a great impact on Ghana as a whole in the areas of development.

Objectives

To achieve its goals,the Women's Wing shall focus on the following objectives.
-To mobilise women with physical disabilities
-To raise awareness on the capacities and potentials of women with physical disability
and attitudinal change towards women with physical disabilities.
-To Lobby and Advocate for the rights of women with physical disabilities.
-To empower the women with physical disability through education,skills trainings,job placement,Sports etc
-To netork with like minded or sister organisations such as Ghana National Association
of the Deaf(GNAD) and the Ghana Association of the Blind(GAB).
-To provide welfare service-mobility gadgets resettlement support

Activities

In order to move ahead,the Women's Wing has the following activities.
-Lobby and Advocacy
-Workshop organisation.egWorkshop on Gender,leadership training,HIV/AIDS,etc
-Fundraising through self reliance projects
-Publicity and awareness creation
-Sports Activities

Some of the Achievements of the Women's Wing

-Though not totally complete,the Wome's Wing of G.S.P.D.can boast of establishing its branches in
all the regions and almost all the disctricts.
-Through Women's Wing, some of the members have built self confidence and see themselves as part of the society
-Some of the members have put into practice some of the things learnt during workshops in order to make life
bearable for themselves.eg.Beads making,Petit trading through micro-finance.

Main Challenges of the Women's Wing

-Poverty and marginalisation in Ghana make it difficult to complete expected goals.
-Lack of funds to organise intensive outreach programmes
-Most of the members are not educated hence the retardation of the Wing
-Majority of members are not working so, some are seen on the street begging
-Limited NGOs as well as limited resources.
-The society has no place for the Women with disabilities so, their reputation and dignity is astake.
-Lack of sports equipment to improve on our Sports activities
-Majority of the women are single parents.
-Lack of commitement from some of the members.

My Profile



SEFAKOR FROM CHURCH-2007

I am a Ghanaian by birth and a typical Ewe from the Volta Region-Anloga and Tegbui respectively.
In G.S.P.D.,I work as a volunteer as the Eastern Regional Women's Wing Vice President as well as the Akwapem South
District Chairpersonin in the Eastern Region, Nsawam.I am a professional teacher of French and English languages but now
work in the Ghana Education Office due to my health now.I read Bachelor of Arts(French and English Major) in the University
of Cape Coast and currently,I work as the Assistant Public Relation Officer as well as the Assistant Pariparthetic Officer in the office.



LOBBY AND A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION WITH SOME OF THE CHIEF DIRECTORS OF OUR MINISTRIES.

On the national level of G.S.P.D.,I am called once a while to join the Lobby and Advocacy group to have such round table discussions
with our politicians in order to promote the welfare of G.S.P.D members.Above are some of the pictures taken during a lobby week.
Contacting the Media is one of the things I also do to promote the welfare of G.S.P.D.members.As it is my talent,I exhibite
this by writing about some pressing issues concerning people with disability (PWDs) to the Media.One of our Ghanaian
National Papers called "The Ghanaina Times"has some of my imputs.One can easily read those concerns I wrote about here:


A PRESS CONFERENCE LED BY SEFAKOR-1ST DECEMBER,2006-"THE GHANAIAN TIMES"


AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY SEFAKOR-3RD MAY,2007-"THE GHANAIAN TIMES"



SEFAKOR ON AIR ON DISABILITY ISSUES


Mobilisation is one of my jobs and I enjoy doing it so much.God willing I managed to mobilise 50 registered disabled people in
my district since G.S.P.D. was not existing there beforeI had my posting there.Teaching as my profession as well as my
hobby, makes me assist in Workshop delivering,Lecturing and Counselling the youth in the Region.Here are some of the
members on Parade with me during our 6th March.



SEFAKOR LEADING SOME OF THE MOBILISED MEMBERS ON 6TH MARCH PARADE-2007



SEFAKOR'S GRADUATION AT UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST-GHANA.

What Barriers Egmond Changed into Carriers for me.


Indeed, Egmond has improved upon my being Socially,Academically,Culturally
and above all Physically.In the first place,my social life has been changed
because I am now well armed with Human Rights and Democracy tools hence I have
my rights from the womb just as the ables do.Nobody is entitled to give me my rights.
Oh!What a precious gift?I understand well now the social life of others so, I do not have
any question mark about what people feel about anything because they are entitled to their
opinions.
Academically,I can boast of the intensive lecture and discussions we had and how
proudly all these have been sealed with a recognized Certificate.I am very grateful for such a
great asset given me.This will let me move chest out to the public and fight for the Rights of
the Disabled in areas of lobbying and advocacy works.

Again,I salute the part of your culture which you have planted in your children from day one as they are born.
Thus,telling the truth and trusting the next person beside you.I hope to start this in my own home and try to sell it to the
public as well.So help me God!In fact you have done a lot of good in my life,Egmont Højskolen.

Finally, I can not dispute the fact that,you made me realize some of the hidden potentials in me.For instance,
through you I can swim,play wheelchair basketball and rugby without any problem.I never knew I
can fly to that extend.As for my Computer Skills you have really improved it and this website testifies it.
I wish I can enumerate all that you did to me but I can not!I can never thank you enough.
Thank you Egmont for arming me with such quality tools.Long Live Egmont,
Long live G.S.P.D.Long Live Denmark,Long Live Ghana.TAK.

My Contact Address.

Mrs Grateful-Miranda Sefakor Ama Komabu Pomeyie
Ghana Education Service
Akwapem South District
P.O.Box 188.
Nsawam.E/R
Ghana.West Africa.
Email.gratefulmiranda@yahoo.com
Tel:00233-244-707110
00233-20-9118471
0045-60270920

For Donations and Contributions,
Please send them to:

The National Administrator
Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled
Private Mail Bag
TUC.Accra.
Ghana.West Africa.
Email:gspd@ghana.com
Tel.00233-21680099

Co-operating Partners

The Danish Council of Organisations of Disabled People(DSI)
Danish Association of the Disabled(DHF)
SWEDISH Association of the Disabled(SHIA)
Action on Disability and Developemet(ADD)
SEND Foundation
Network Computer Sysytem(NCS)
AB&P Germany
IBIS
ISODEC

Disability,Anybody's Lots Anytime!

You could visit the Disability Webpage in Denmark for more information. Disability-web-page-

CLICK HERE! Photo-album