TUCEE organization launches BADA project to empower persons with disabilities

TUCEE organisation, a Ghana-based educational and counselling NGO, has unveiled the BADA project, a skill and mental health initiative aimed at empowering persons with disabilities (PWDs) and fostering their integration into society.

The BADA project emerged from a recent community engagement by TUCEE in Ga rural communities and the Somanya township, focusing on enhancing the mental health of PWDs.

The engagement revealed significant challenges such as loneliness, sexual abuse, and poverty-induced trauma among those confined to their homes.

In response, TUCEE Organisation devised a comprehensive training program providing PWDs with essential skills. The skill set includes bead making, wig making, soap making, sewing, basic computer skills, videography, photography, counselling training, and mental health support services.

Dr. Cecilia Tutu-Danquah, Founder of TUCEE organisation, emphasized that the project aims not only to impart skills but also to contribute meaningfully to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 3.

“We have come in to build their mental health and also give them skills to take away isolation and to give them livelihood,” said Dr. Tutu-Danquah, addressing issues of abuse and isolation faced by PWDs.

The project aligns with SDG 1, addressing poverty eradication, and SDG 3, focusing on good health and well-being. Dr. Tutu-Danquah highlighted the priority areas of the BADA project, emphasizing skills provision and mental health services for achieving these SDG goals.

She called for increased support from voluntary facilitators, including financial assistance, to help train PWDs and ensure the success of the project.

The launch event attracted individuals from faith-based organizations, chieftaincy institutions, professional bodies, other social care facilitators, and beneficiaries.

Nana Appeaa Sarpomaa Kumankuma, the Queen Mother of Akyem-Dwenase, emphasized that the skills provided by the BADA project could reduce the poverty levels of isolated PWDs.

Nana Kwame Asante, a facilitator in charge of counselling and mental health services, highlighted that the project not only imparts skills but also eliminates low self-esteem among PWDs, making a positive impact on their overall well-being.