The Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation (HDMF) has launched an Endowment Fund to champion inclusion, dignity and empowerment for women, girls and persons with disabilities across Ghana.
The launch, held in Accra, was described as a “revolution of inclusion, equality and empowerment” by Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba, the Founder and Executive Director, who recounted the inspiration behind the Foundation.
“We are not just launching an endowment fund. We are igniting a revolution where persons with disabilities and women are not marginalized,” she said, appealing to stakeholders to invest in the vision.
She narrated the life story of her late father, Henry Kwadwo Djaba, who rose from poverty to become a wealthy businessman but lost everything after the 1979 coup d’état, suffered a stroke, and lived with disability until his death in 2013.
“His remarkable resilience in the face of adversity is the motivation of our journey. He kept telling us that ‘he who dares, wins, and quitters don’t win.”
The HDMF, established in 2018, has since implemented several initiatives including the award-winning “Let’s Talk Ability Show” on Adom TV, advocacy campaigns, and livelihood empowerment programmes.
Madam Djaba recalled the challenges of sustaining the Foundation in its early years, telling the gathering: “Poor me – I was the sole financier of the Foundation. Rent, staff salaries and overheads nearly killed me, but we did not give up.”
Corporate organisations such as Ghana National Gas Company, GNPC, Access Bank, UNFPA and the Embassy of Israel have supported projects including wheelchair campaigns, electoral training for persons with disabilities, and the annual Ability Fair.
Madam Djaba commended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for renovating her grandmother’s house in Somanya into the Henry Djaba Centre for Ideas and Knowledge, which now serves as the Foundation’s head office and training centre.
The Endowment Fund seeks to raise GHS5 million over five years, with GHS1.5 million targeted as seed money. It would provide sustainable support for advocacy, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and leadership development.
Madam Djaba emphasised that inclusion was not charity but justice, stating: “Your support is not just a donation. It is a legacy. Together, we can build a Ghana where everyone belongs, where no one is left behind, not now, not ever.”
Donors will be recognized under tiers ranging from “Friends of the Fund” at GHS20,000 to “Diamond Tier” at GHS500,000 and above, with benefits including scholarships, programme naming rights, advisory council seats, and lifetime recognition on the HDMF “Wall of Legacy.”
Special recognition options also include scholarships at the Somanya Centre, rural water projects, girls’ leadership initiatives, and the annual Ability Fair.
Rallying a call, Madam Djaba said: “I challenge you to dare to join us, as we break chains, shatter ceilings, and build communities where everyone rises together.”
The launch was attended by dignitaries, civil society leaders, philanthropists and community members, who pledged support for the Foundation’s mission of building an inclusive Ghana.
Addressing the gathering, Professor Augustina Naami, Board Chairperson of HDMF and a senior lecturer at the university of Ghana, recounted her personal struggles as a student with disability and underscored the urgent need for inclusion, empowerment, and practical support rather than token gestures.
“We must begin to see the person in the person with a disability, and not just the disability,” she said.
“If I had not been given an opportunity, nobody would have known what I am capable of. Because I had the opportunity, I struggled my way through, and here I am today.”
She highlighted the high cost of disability-related expenses, noting that assistive devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and mobility tools remained unaffordable for many families in Ghana.
“Disability-related expenses are very, very high. Just imagine our buses, the trotros, are not accessible. Persons with disabilities spend hours in transit because drivers refuse to take them. And if a driver is compassionate enough, they put the wheelchair on your lap or demand extra payment,” she said, drawing murmurs of agreement from the audience.
She urged stakeholders, churches, government agencies, and civil society to join hands in sustaining the HDMF Endowment Fund, stressing that inclusion was not optional but essential for national progress.
Mrs Carlien Bou-Chedid, an engineer and member of the HDMF Board, described the launch as “a very significant milestone in our collective pursuit of a more inclusive society.”
She emphasized that the initiative was designed to empower vulnerable women and people with disabilities, reflecting a strong commitment to building a world where everyone could thrive, regardless of background or ability.
Mrs Bou-Chedid stated that the fund offers financial aid, mentorship, and resources to help vulnerable women and persons with disabilities access education, skills training, and tools for economic empowerment and inclusion.