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Poverty, vulnerability and exclusion in Ghana: A socially-responsive methodological approach: Poverty, vulnerability and exclusion in Ghana: A socially-responsive methodological approach
No full textIn identifying vulnerabilities that predispose people to chronic poverty and/or exclusion, causal factors to determine the vulnerable groups have always been a challenge to the change agent\u27s concerned. It is only in rare cases that people succeed in teasing out important causal issues. This is rather disturbing as policy will neither be coherent nor proactive without a clear acknowledgement and appreciation of the adversities and challenges responsible for causing and/or perpetuating chronic poverty. In particular, those at risk are likely to be missed out if the causal factors are not properly identified. There is high diversity in the issues underlying vulnerability and exclusion. Using a socially-responsive methodology which includes such criteria as incidence, severity, and marginalisation, poverty issues could be captured in a broader context to enable wider inclusion of vulnerable and excluded groups in society. The paper argues that a deployable and acceptable methodology will necessarily entail trade-offs. In particular, it takes account of existing gaps in the identification of the poor, vulnerable and excluded
Effects of the Ghana school feeding programme on enrolment, attendance and drop-out rate in basic schools in Savelugu-Nanton District: Effects of the Ghana school feeding programme on enrolment, attendance and drop-out rate in basic schools in Savelugu-Nanton District
No full textFor reasons of its geographical location, colonial legacies and cultural practices, the Savelugu-Nanton District is characterised by high illiteracy rate, poverty and low school attainments. The Savelugu-Nanton District was a beneficiary district during the five year piloting of the Ghana School Feeding Programme. The objectives of the study were to examine the effectiveness of the implementation processes of the GSFP and assess the effect of the policy on school attainments in the beneficiary schools and to suggest recommendations towards improving its management. The study employed triangulation. Survey instruments were administered on a study sample of 53 respondents selected purposively from the GSFP institutional set up and major stakeholders. Survey reports and content analysis of published records were used to examine the policy implementation processes. Four schools were selected through probability sampling and Analysis of Variance was used to compare intervention effects on school attainments. The study revealed irregular funding, poor collaboration and participation by the major stakeholders and the non compliance with the selection criteria for beneficiaries and an irregular school feeding. The programme produced no effect on enrolment and attendance except for drop-oat numbers. The study concluded that the implementation processes were not so effective and therefore, failed to achieve any influence on school attainments in the study area. The study recommended to government to involve key stakeholders to reformulate the policy through Parliament into a statute and set standards for management and stakeholder participation. The new statute must incorporate budgetary funding
Implementation of the Community Education Teaching Assistants Module of the National Youth Employment Programme: Outcomes and Challenges in northern Ghana: Implementation of the Community Education Teaching Assistants Module of the National Youth Employment Programme: Outcomes and Challenges in northern Ghana
No full textThis paper analyses the outcomes and challenges of the Community Education Teaching Assistants (CETAs) module, one of the modules of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) which the Government of Ghana (GoG) started implementing nationwide in 2006 as part of its poverty reduction programme. The paper draws on the livelihood framework for analysing how far the module provides a meaningful and or sustainable means of living, the very core objective of every livelihood. It draws on qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions of key personnel and beneficiaries of the programme. It also draws on secondary data, both qualitative and quantitative data for analysis. The residts show that the programme has achieved some modest livelihood outcomes. First, District Employment Task Forces (DELTA Forces) were constituted and reactivated to improve on their performance in implementation of the module. Secondly, the module provided only temporary employment for most CETAs. The majority of CETAs are laid off after two years per their contractual terms ill-prepared to make a sustainable living. Thirdly, the phase out plan to latch CETAs onto the Untrained Teacher Diploma in Basic Education (UTDBE) programme for professional teacher training is benefiting only a few CETAs. These outcomes were largely shaped by challenges in the governance of the programme. To this end, the module largely provides short term relief to CETAs. In the long term, it does not provide a sustainable means of livelihood for most CETAs, except the few beneficiaries of the UTDBE programme. The paper therefore, recommends institutional reforms for improving governance and enhancing financial sustainability of the module at the district level
Children as ’invisible’ contributors to household income in Ghana: Children as ’invisible’ contributors to household income in Ghana
No full textPoverty reduction in Ghana has attracted varied approaches. Over the recent past decade, the government implemented a number of programmes tailored to reduce income poverty. These include the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), School Feeding Programme, National Health Insurance Scheme and Capitation Fund. Recent data on poverty indicate that Ghana has achieved the Millennium Development Goal I (MDG 1). Beyond these poverty reduction programmes are children who contribute immeasurably to household income which could lead to household poverty reduction, yet are largely unnoticed and least focused. The paper used both survey and qualitative data from a child-mobility research in four different settlement types in the Central and Brong Ahafo Regions to assess the contributions of children to household income. The findings revealed that a week preceding the survey, 55% of the children assisted parents/guardians on the farm, about 25% sold at the market (largely by hawking) and less than 3% took care of herds in the fields on behalf of their parents. Some ofthe children who sold earned between GH$ 7 and GHQ15 per day to support household income. In addition, the children undertook varied household activities including caring for younger siblings to enable parents to have adequate time to engage in socio-economic activities. Children\u27s involvement in the socio-economic space needs to be further explored as a means of formally evaluating and reconceptualising their contributions to household income and possibly poverty reduction. By so doing these \u27invisible\u27 contributors can be properly recognised and acknowledged. Consequently, this will activate the necessary offices, structures and systems to regulate their activities and contributions legitimately.
Strangers and authorities in the gold coast: Immigration control in colonial Ghana, 1900—1957
No full textUntil the imposition of colonial rule on Africa, movements of people from one place to another were not restricted by national or regional borders, visa systems, or national security fears. The modern idea of immigration is related to the development of nation-states and nationality laws, which often distinguish between citizens and immigrants. Citizenship of a nation-stale confers on nationals an inalienable right of residence, employment and free movement in that state, but the residence, employment and movement of immigrants are subject to conditions set by immigration regulations. Since it was the colonial authorities that introduced immigration regulations into Ghana, any attempt to gain a good understanding of the history of immigration control in the country must start from the colonial times. Therefore, using both primary and secondary documents, this study examines the measures which the colonial authorities devised to control the entry of immigrants into Ghana as well as their stay in and exit from the country, and assesses the relative effectiveness of their implementation. It argues that the colonial authorities had been generally liberal towards immigrants in Ghana. The study concludes that the manner in which immigration control had been handled in the colonial era was partly accountable for the frequent influx of many \u27illegal\u27 migrants into Ghana after independence
The social stigma attached to obesity: risk factors and coping strategies: The social stigma attached to obesity: risk factors and coping strategies
No full textThe medical effects of obesity are well-documented and well-publicized. But, just as obesity may be associated with a variety of health issues, it can also bring a less well-understood effect: stigma and discrimination. The social consequences of being overweight and obese are serious, pervasive and throughout our culture, and is evident at different levels across lines of gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Overweight and obese individuals are often targets of bias and stigma, and are vulnerable to negative attitudes in multiple domains of living including places of employment, educational institutions, medical facilities, the mass media, and interpersonal relationships. Along with implications to physical health, obesity often carries a stigma that negatively impacts the social, emotional, and psychological functioning of those who are overweight or perceive themselves as overweight. This paper seeks to review on causal attribution of obesity and its social consequences. Interpersonal sources, multiple domains and coping strategies are also captured. In light of the immense burden of obesity on health care systems and also on the individuals\u27 quality of life, it is recommended that stigma-reduction interventions should focus on educating students at all levels of educational system and the general public about size acceptance and further challenge negative attitudes. Also, prevention programs with information campaigns might have a high potential in increasing awareness about stigmatization
Federalism, intergovernmental relations and the headmaster complex in Nigerian federalism 1999-2007
No full textBetween 1960 and 1999, the Nigerian ‘federal ’ state had had twenty eight years of military leadership. Thus rather than being ruled as a federal state, the military ruled it as a unitary state with total disregardfor the fine tenets of federalism. However, the post 1999 military period provided a conducive climate for robust debates and discourses in the political and legal climes on issues of allocation of tax powers and expenditure responsibilities and the custody of the federation’s funds. Here the state governments contested the overbearing influence and jurisdictional competence of the centre in matters of the “commonwealth”. These contests have had serious implications for intergovernmental relations in contemporary Nigeria. Using the longitudinal approach, the paper examines the various contours of intergovernmental relations in Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.The study relied essentially on primary sources from the national archives for the reconstruction of the historical background of this piece. The paper also analyses the post 1999 contestation between the centre and federating units on revenue sharing. Secondly it evaluates the role of the Judiciary in adjudicating between the centre and component units particularly on the issues of apportionment of oil revenue in the fourth republic. The central problem of this paper is that why has the contest over revenue allocation been so intense? Much more importantly, why did the central leadership in that dispensation (personified by the President) have so much challenges with intergovernmental relations? Also why did the regime engage in acts which undermined the ethos of federalism and reinforce the unitary traditions of the preceding military regime? This article contends that given long years of military rule, the administrators and politicians in Nigeria have not internalized the sacred ethos offederalism and the federation has to all intents and purposes remained a unitary state in the garb of a federal state. The paper affirms that the challenge is first andforemost a constitutional problem. It suggests ways by which the dominance of the centre can be diluted towards a coordinated relationship fostered between the centre and the federating units
Economic factors predicting recreational sports participation among academic staff of tertiary institution in Kwara and Kogi States, Nigeria: Economic factors predicting recreational sports participation among academic staff of tertiary institution in Kwara and Kogi States, Nigeria
No full textParticipation in recreational sports plays an important role in physical, mental, emotion and social status of an individual. The study investigated the economic variables predicting recreational sports among academic staff of tertiary institution in Kwara and Kogi States, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A simple random sampling technique employing the fish bowl method was used to select 12 government-owned tertiary institutions used for the study. One thousand six hundred and twenty five (1,625) were selected through stratified sampling technique. A modified standardised Recreation Sports Questionnaire on 4 point Likert type scale with reliability value of r=0.83 was used. A letter of introduction was collected from the department of Human Kinetics Education, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The hypotheses was tested at 0.05 alpha level while data were analysed using multiple regression analysis. Results of findings showed that all the independent variables of provision of equipments, availability of facilities and economic status were significant and predicted academic staff participation in recreational activities. Recommendations made include, quality and standard recreational equipment and facilities should be made available to the participants at subsidize cost and recreation should be accessible to staff at no cost
Level of education and marital distress in Ghanaian married couples: Level of education and marital distress in Ghanaian married couples
No full textThis study set out to examine how much distress men and women experience in their marital relationships, and whether or not education level is associated with marital distress. This was done by using the Marital Happiness Scale, and a questionnaire that measured demographic characteristics, as measuring instruments. Four research questions were formulated and four hypotheses were tested. They covered the differences that exist in the marital distress experiences among husbands and wives, and differences in education and their impact on marital distress. A total of eighty (80) married men and women comprising 40 husbands and 40 wives were conveniently and purposively selected to take part in the study. Descriptive statistics and t- Tests were used to analyse the data to bring out differences and to determine associations among variables. The findings showed that many persons who said they experienced distress in their marital relationships also tested distressed on a scale of marital distress; that among this population, wives tested more distressed than husbands in marriages. There were no significant differences between husbands and wives of low education and those of high education in their distress. Those with high education were not less distressed than those with low education. Marital distress is not a respecter of level of education. Suggestions were made for future research to consider other factors that account for distress in Ghanaian marriages other than education status
Improving socio-economic conditions of informal sector operators: A study of garage operators at Suame, Kumasi: Improving socio-economic conditions of informal sector operators: A study of garage operators at Suame, Kumasi
No full textMacro-economic strategies for poverty reduction, such as the SAP and GPRSs were not adequately successful. A micro-economic focus is therefore proposed as a contemporary approach towards poverty reduction. The fact that the informal economy employs more than eighty percent of Ghana\u27s working population suggests that improving the socio economic conditions of informal operators would mean reducing poverty for the majority of the working population. This study aimed to examine how incomes generated in the informal garage economy reflect in the socio economic well-being of informal garage operators and explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of informal garage enterprises that can help improve the socio-economic conditions of the operators. A descriptive study design was adopted by the study. Interview schedule and interview guide were used to collect primary data. The study found that most informal garage operators contributed a greater portion of their household income. The opportunities available for the enterprises included high access to market and supplies. High competition, job insecurity, and inadequate support from local government were some identified threats. The study recommended garage operators to develop a common fund for infrastructural development within the cluster. It also recommended collaborative support o flocal government authorities and NGOs