The Social Affairs Ministry has provided assistance in the form of business capital to 105 people living with disabilities in Pariaman city, West Sumatra, to support their activities and improve the economy.

“So, 105 of the 315 people we have proposed to the Social Affairs Ministry have received the assistance; the assistance given has varied,” Head of the Pariaman Social Affairs Office Muhamad Rum informed in Pariaman on Tuesday.

The assistance has included 97 packages of staple foods, 6 wheelchairs, dozens of mattresses, and 4 storefronts, as well as business capital assistance for drinks, phone credit, and equipment for selling fried foods, he said.

The aid was allocated to beneficiaries on Monday (November 7); however, some of the aids, such as hearing aids and prosthetic limbs, have yet to be provided as measurements still need to be taken for them.

The ministry’s assistance could help Pariaman residents who have problems performing activities due to physical limitations, he added.

“We previously also provided assistance to (people with) disabilities in Pariaman, both through the Pariaman National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) and through the regional budget, the Social Welfare Coordination Institute, and the Family Hope Program for Disability,” he said.

Last year, 174 people living with disabilities in Pariaman received assistance from the ministry in the form of prosthetic legs, wheelchairs, staple foods, and beds, he informed.

He said that the names of 210 people living with disabilities who did not receive assistance this year will be proposed again to the Social Affairs Ministry in 2023. “We hope that next year, some 210 people with disabilities will receive assistance,” Rum said.

His administration will still provide assistance in the form of staple foods to reduce social inequality in the area. The assistance will be allocated either through the National Zakat Agency, Social Welfare Coordination Institute, or regional budget.

Source: Antara News