The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has disbursed GH¢ 196,000.00 to victims of the Nsawam quarry explosion under the Emergency Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) cash transfer programme.
In all 655 households from the Paebo near Nsawam –Adogyiri and Abompe, who suffered during last year’s explosion and fire outbreak from the two communities, received GH¢ 100.00 each.
The disbursement was done in three phases by the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, the GN Bank Limited and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) at Paebo on Wednesday.
Madam Dela Sowah, Deputy Gender Minister, who led the disbursement team, said the support was in fulfilment of government’s promise to offer adequate sustenance to the vulnerable.
She said the disbursement also marked the end of the final phase of the (LEAP).
Madam Sowah said government would ensure that households who needed to be sustained under LEAP would be captured formally under the programme.
She said the Gender Ministry would also assist households who are unable to trace their National Health Insurance Cards as a result of the disaster to register.
Madam Sowah expressed surprise that people were contending that the Gender Ministry did not capture all the households during the disaster.
The Deputy Gender Minister said the Ministry captured all households and offered GH¢ 100.00 during the three phases of disbursement of cash under the Emergency LEAP Cash Transfer.
Mr Richard Adjetey, Acting Director, Department of Social Protection, said families in disaster situations resort to “detrimental coping strategies,” hence the intervention by government by tasking the sector Ministry to handle their situation under the Emergency LEAP Cash Transfers programme.
He said the objective of the emergency LEAP cash grant was to address the temporary needs of the affected households by addressing their basic needs and establishing their productive capacity.
Nana Amoako, a 65 year old beneficiary, thanked government for redeeming its promise to them.
He said the damage caused by the disaster was extensive and some of them are still struggling to put up their houses.
Nana Amoako said other victims were still struggling to settle their medical bills as a result of the injuries they sustained during the disaster and appealed to benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the victims.
In December last year residents of Paebo, near Nsawam Adoagyiri suffered from explosion at A.K.Y Mining Site which resulted in deaths, injuries and damage of several properties.
Last year fire also swept through the farms of residents of Abompe destroying their crops.
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