First Vice-President Jane Ansah has urged persons with disabilities in Phalombe District to form cooperatives in their respective to embrace self-reliance.
She said cooperatives will make it easier for persons with disabilities to access support, skills training and economic empowerment programmes.
Ansah said this on Tuesday at Phalombe Teacher Training College where she donated assorted relief items to 1 000 households through the Jane Ansah Foundation.
The beneficiaries included persons with short stature, persons with albinism and the elderly from across the district.
Ansah said her foundation, in partnership with the government, is committed to ensuring that no person dies of hunger in the country.
She, however, stressed the need for vulnerable communities to embrace self-help initiatives to ensure long-term sustainability.
“The government and the foundation will continue to support vulnerable communities, but we want you to be self-reliant,” said Ansah.
Speaking on behalf of persons with disabilities, MacDonald Makapu, asked the government to remove collateral requirements on loans to make them more accessible to persons with disabilities.
She said: “Most of us have good business ideas, but we fail to access loans because banks demand collateral which we do not have.
“We ask the government to consider removing collateral so that persons with disabilities can also benefit.”
Phalombe District Council vice-chairperson Alex Mambo commended the veep for the gesture, describing it as timely in addressing food challenges among vulnerable households.
The relief items distributed included bags of flour, soya chunks and blankets.
