DISABLED SOCIETY TO EXPAND BUSINESS ...(Published Monday, Dec 10, 2007. Page 55)

Story: Abdul Aziz

THE Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD) is to diversify its operations by branching into the hospitality industry by producing tooth picks for restaurants.
This is to ensure that the society’s factory that currently produce chalk operates throughout the year instead of the current practice of closing down for lack of market for chalk.
Mr Elvis Kosi Alipui, Production Manager of the chalk factory, said recently, the factory had to close down and the 17 workers sent home because of lack of market for 30,000 boxes of chalk produced.
He said, however, that when the Ghana Education Service (GES) heard of the stock, it issued a cheque for ¢105 million to clear it.
He said apart from clearing the stock, the GES had awarded another contract to the factory to produce 50,000 boxes of chalk for 2008.
He said when the tooth pick line was added to the chalk factory, it would assist to limit the constraints of cash flow associated with the chalk factory to enable it to expand in the future to meet more demands.
Mr Alipui said the society was sourcing funds for members of the society to learn different trades such as tailoring, computer programming and craftsmanship to open joint ventures as part of the diversification process.
He, therefore, appealed to non- government organisations (NGOs) to come to the aid of the society.
He said the chalk factory which was closed recently for lack of contracts would be re-opened in January for production to start on the 50,000 boxes of chalk for the GES valued at ¢175 million.
The production manager said the factory when producing at full capacity was capable of generating employment for 33 physically disabled persons but it was currently employing only 17 persons.
He said when many institutions offered them contracts the company could be able to expand its operations to employ more people to ensure equity in the society, as well assist the disabled to come back to the mainstream society, to contribute their quota to national development.
Mr Alipui said many disabled people had now acquired skills but required funds to put these skills into practice to prevent them from going back to the streets to beg for alms, which was a dent on the image the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled had worked hard to improve.