The Charismatic Evangelistic Ministry (CEM) is moving to transform its single outreach initiative into an ability village project to mark its 10th anniversary.
Known as the CEM Ability Village, it provides integrated rehabilitation, healthcare, skills training and employment for persons living with disability (PWDs).
The village is envisioned as Africa’s largest, faith-inspired empowerment centre for persons with disabilities.
The construction of the first phase of the project is expected to begin in December at Agortor-Kope in the Shai-Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region.
Support
A campaign “10 for Ability,” to raise funds for the project has also been launched to encourage individuals, corporate bodies and donors to contribute towards the construction of regional empowerment centres.
The campaign encourages every Ghanaian to donate GH¢₵10 a month for 12 months, a simple act that collectively builds hope, facilities and futures for persons with disabilities across the nation.
The Founder and General Overseer of CEM, Rev. Dr Steve Mensah, said the ability village was not a shelter but a launchpad for empowerment, aimed at restoring dignity and providing opportunities for persons living with disability.
“The Ability Village is not a shelter, it is a launchpad for empowerment. “For ten years, we have carried the vision to restore dignity and opportunity to persons living with disabilities.
This is how we bear one another’s burdens, by creating pathways to independence, not pity.
We believe every person has a God-given potential, our task is to help them unlock it,” Rev Dr Mensah who is also the Chairman of the Ability Village Project, said.”
Rev. Dr Mensah described the 10th anniversary as a moment of reflection and renewed national commitment to uplift and empower people both spiritually and physically.
16 centres
The Chief Executive Officer of the CEM Ability Village, Fred Nuer, announced that the original plan to site the project solely in Accra on a 2,000-acre land had been revised to include regional Ability Centres in all 16 regions.
“By expanding this vision beyond Accra, we are ensuring that persons with disabilities across Ghana can access opportunities closer to home.
“This decentralised model will allow communities nationwide to experience inclusion in real, tangible ways,” he stated, adding that this new approach aligned with Ghana’s disability inclusion agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoting decent work and reduced inequalities.
Faith in action
In a special message, the President, John Dramani Mahama, commended CEM’s leadership and reaffirmed government’s support for the Ability Village vision.
“The work of CEM is a shining example of faith in action. Building a disability-friendly Ghana requires partnerships like this, where compassion meets structure, and service becomes sustainable,” the President said in the message read on his behalf by the Presidential Envoy in charge of Interfaith and Ecumenical Bodies, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
Appreciation
The President of the Centre for Employment of Persons with Disabilities, on behalf of the disability community across the country, expressed appreciation to Rev. Dr Steve Mensah and the CEM for continuously empowering and making a positive impact in the lives of the poor and needy over the last decade.
He urged the government to join forces and partner with the CEM Ability Village to provide more opportunities and hope for PWDs.
