The Contribution of the Ghana Schools Feeding Programme to Basic School Participation: A Study of Selected Schools in the Kwaebibirim District of Ghana

The paper analyzed the contribution of the Ghana Schools Feeding Programme to basic school participation in selected schools in the Kwaebibirim District of Ghana. A total of 94 respondents were involved in the study. Both simple random and purposive sampling techniques were applied in the selection of respondents. Secondary data was also obtained through the review of documents and reports on the subject. The study found out that the policy interventions have contributed to enrolment, attendance and retention in public primary schools. It has improved school attendance by at least 1 percent and at most 15 percent  in the schools studied. It is however worth noting that the programme is bedevilled with challenges such as inadequate funds and delays in it release, reduction in contact hours with pupils and students, and undue interferences in the appointment of caterers. Keywords: education, participation, enrolment, attendance, retentio

The role of local government in local economic development promotion at the district level in Ghana

This study investigated the role of local government in local economic development (LED). Local governments in the developed world have been promoting the LED of areas under their control for decades unlike their counterparts in the developing world. With the advent of decentralisation in many countries of the developing world, many of their local governments have also gotten involved in promoting LED. Despite this, their contributions have been negligible if not totally absent. As the implementation and practice of decentralisation deepens in Ghana, local governments, locally called District Assemblies have the responsibility of ensuring the total development of the areas under their jurisdiction. Despite the ample evidence indicating their increasing effectiveness in delivering social services, they have not been able to effectively promote LED. This study therefore set out to find out why these local governments are not able to effectively promote LED at the local level in Ghana. This study was necessitated by the fact there exist few and less comprehensive studies in LED with regards to the involvement of local governments in the country. There is also the need to examine the persistent ineffectiveness of local governments in LED, their challenges, basic conditonalities, and the critical way forward to mitigate these. The Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Assembly (local government) of the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of the republic of Ghana was the case studied. The study analysed how the local government carried out its LED promotional drive, its capacity, the involvement of other stakeholders and other factors influencing its involvement in the process. It employed the use of mainly qualitative research methodology. The case study approach was adopted as the research strategy. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used and a variety of methods including interviews, documentary analysis, observations, group discussions and questionnaire administration were employed to ensure triangulation and the quality of data collected and analysed. The study revealed that, though the local government played several roles in LED, these were mainly traditional and not directly effective to rapidly address the LED needs of the municipality. The various strategies and tools applied were also limited in scope. The local government was also less committed to the implementation of programmes and projects stated in its development plans that were of direct benefit to economic entities in municipality. More so, it had inadequate capacity in terms of funds, logistics and human resources. In addition, it depended to a larger extent on the central government for most of its capacity needs. It also had a weak institutional set-up for LED promotion which affected negatively the coordination of LED initiatives. The LED process was also not well integrated into the local government‘s development planning process. Moreover, the local government‘s involvement of other stakeholders in its LED process was limited to informing and consulting. It maintained a weak relationship with local stakeholders and a higher one with external stakeholders. There was also the absence of a clear platform for stakeholder engagement by the local government in its LED process. Other external factors influencing its performance in the LED process included the absence of a national policy framework to guide its involvement in LED, hindered access to the utilisation and control of certain local resources and the inadequate capacity of local economic entities in the municipality. The study therefore recommends that for the local government to be effective in the process of LED, it must put in pragmatic and relevant strategies and tools, have the needed capacity, a strong institutional set-up and should consciously involve all the necessary and potential stakeholders in all the stages of the LED process. This should also be complemented by efforts of the central government to strengthen the local government in the process of LED

The Role of Remedial Schools in the Development of Education in Ghana

The primary objective of the study was to find out the contributions of remedial schools to development in the country. To achieve this, the study adopted the exploratory research design. It applied both quantitative and qualitative research techniques.  Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources and critically analyzed for result. A total of 120 remedial school students were interviewed during the study. Also, data was collected from teachers, schools headmasters and the education directorate of the metropolitan local government office. The interview guide and questionnaire were the tools applied in soliciting data from the respondents. Findings were that remedial schools aside preparing students adequately to pass their external examinations, contributed massively to development in diverse ways. For instance, these schools provide employment; provide a platform to upgrade the skills of workers and also to upgrade the moral standards of society.  Interestingly, aside poor performing secondary school graduates who enroll in these schools; workers, school dropouts as well as continuing secondary school students are among the population that make up the remedial schools.  Challenged by the fact that they are not being recognized and thus not supported by the government, remedial schools tend to face problems with funding. Support from the government is needed by these schools, considering their numerous contributions to the country, to upgrade their existing capacities to do even better than now

The Effects of Natural Resource Conservation on the Development of Fringe Communities around the Barekese Catchment Area

The study sought to assess the effects of nature resource conservation on fringe communities in the Barekese conserved area in Ghana. A sample of 82 household heads was randomly selected from four fringe communities and interviewed to gather the needed primary data. Also focused group discussions were held with farmers, fishers, hunters and chain-saw operator groups in the sampled communities. The findings were that the Barekese catchment area conservation project had resulted in the reduction in farmlands of the people living in the fringe communities. It has also brought about some natural resource use conflicts, poverty and the undermining of livelihood opportunities of the fringe communities. It is therefore recommended that alternative livelihood opportunities, especially nonfarm businesses need to be encouraged and supported by the government and other local authorities among the resource fringe communities to minimize the negative effects of conservation. Active involvement of the fringe communities in the decision making process, before, during and after the conservation, could have engendered local ownership and reduced the antagonistic tendencies from the fringe communities. Keywords: natural resource, conservation, fringe communities, Barekes

Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) as a Model for Promoting Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in the Ashaiman Municipality of Ghana

The purpose of the research was to assess the possibility of using the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) in Ghana as a model for the development of micro and small scale enterprises (MSEs). The study did this by assessing the contributions MASLOC has made to the development of MSEs. Data gathered from 96 beneficiary MSEs and three institutions revealed that loans from MASLOC have contributed to increasing the beneficiary MSEs’ working capital by 120.6%. The business advisory services offered by MASLOC to beneficiaries were identified to have improved the enterprises’ customer relations and attractions. All these have culminated into increases in earnings averaging 46.9%. The sustainability of MASLOC is however constrained by the high rate of default. The default rates for individual loans and group loans were 20% and 25% respectively. Overdue payments were estimated at 20% and 30% for individual loans and groups loans respectively. The study concludes that MASLOC should intensively monitor the MSEs in order to address the misapplications of the loans they take which will in turn reduce the rate of loan default. Keywords: Micro and Small Enterprises, Microfinance, MASLOC, employment, poverty reduction.

Promoting Green Infrastructure in Kumasi: Challenges and Strategies

The study investigated the causes and effects of the reduction of green spaces in the city of Kumasi,  as well as the challenges in the management of green spaces. Data for the study were gathered through interviews, documentary reviews and observation. The causes and challenges of maintaining green spaces included inadequate collaboration between institutions engaged in the planning and management of the city, inadequate capacity and lack of control by the city management over a greater part of the city’s lands.  The effects included the near loss of the garden city status of the city and reduction in the number of green spaces for recreation, parties and relaxation. To help promote and preserve green spaces in the city, it is recommended that the managers of the city develop various policies, programmes and projects to support green living and create a participation strategy for all major stakeholders in the creation and management of green spaces. City authorities should institute an annual Green Space Awareness education in the city, encourage private developers, owners of housing facilities and educational institutions to maintain private gardens and green spaces and help improve the collaboration between and among key stakeholders and institutions in the management of green spaces in the city. Keywords: Green Infrastructure, Green space, Cities, Kumasi, land use, climate chang

Decision-Making Difficulties of Senior High School Referred Graduates of Cape Coast Metropolis

This research examined the career decision difficulties of Senior High School Referred Graduates (SHSRGs) in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Mixed methods with exploratory design was employed and the data were collected using questionnaire and interview guide. Stratified and random sampling techniques were adopted to select a total of three hundred and sixty (360) SHSRGs. Purposive, convenience and snowball sampling techniques were also used to select six (6) parents, three (3) remedial school teachers and one (1) director of Ghana Education Service (GES) for the study. The result indicated (189, 53.8%) of the referred graduates usually felt they needed confirmation and support for their decisions about their career choice from a professional or somebody they trust. It was also revealed that (263, 74.3%) had considered the field they would like to major or the field they would like to choose. Again, (59, 16.7%) of the referred graduates encountered difficulties in making career decisions because they did not know which occupations interest them whereas (89, 25.0%) indicated they found it difficult to make career decision because they were focusing on their referred papers. It was recommended that the SHSRGs should make career choices based on guidance and counselling received from experts in various institutions in the metropolis. They should resist imposition of careers by people and accept non-collegiate education through excursions and embrace work surveillance. This will sharpen their understanding about what industry expect from them and connect them to the realities of the world of work. Keyword: Decision-making, Career selection, Decision dynamics, Career failure, Referred graduates, Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-22-13 Publication date: November 30th 202

Challenges of Forest Reserve Management in Ghana: Evidence from Tain Tributary Block I Forest Reserve

In spite of their immeasurable benefits to life sustenance, the sustainable management of forest and forest resources in Ghana is flooded with innumerable challenges such as the conflicting roles of the various stakeholders involved in forest management. This study sought to lay bare the peculiar challenges bedevilling the management of the Tain Tributary Block I forest reserve in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana from an institutional and communities’ perspective. Using the simple random sampling technique, Ninety-five (95) heads of households were selected from five (5) communities surrounding the Tain Tributary Block I forest reserve, whilst the purposive sampling was used in selecting the heads of institutions such as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Sunyani West District Assembly, the Fire Service Department and the Forest Service Division (FSD) which have been tasked with the management of forest resources in Ghana.  The study revealed that, though the communities around the forest reserve play an indispensable role in forest management, only a minority of the populations of such communities are actively involved or have knowledge in relation to the sustainable management of forest resources. It was also observed that, intentionally sparked bushfires, illegal farming and conflict between the major institutions in forest resource management are major challenges confronting forest management in the Tain Tributary Block I forest reserve. It is recommended that clear cut modalities on the roles of forest management institutions be put in place to avoid conflict and also facilitate collaboration. Keywords: forest management, stakeholders, challenges, sustainability

The Informal Apprenticeship System in Ghana: Post Graduation Job Integration and Its Implications for the Management of Urban Space

In spite of the enormous contributions the informal apprenticeship system has made to empowering many creative intelligent young Ghanaians, it has over the years come under a barrage of criticism and forceful evictions in many urban areas in Ghana. The justification by  urban administrators and planners for forcefully removing these graduate apprentices who set up their businesses  have been on grounds of encroachment of public spaces and illegal occupation of precarious locations. Informal graduate apprentices have defended their locational choice on ground of unfairness on the part of the state and the market to cater for their space needs. In the awake of a growing informal apprenticeship system in Ghana, this paper sought to establish the inherent relationship that exist between the growth in apprentices, their locational preferences, and their implications for urban planning and management. Using a case study approach the study built upon earlier exploratory research works done in the area. Information was gathered from 162 graduate apprentices-now entrepreneurs in four broad trades namely wood worker; auto mechanics; textile and apparel; and beauticians and hairdressers in Accra using questionnaires. The responses were validated through a focus group discussion. The findings revealed the number of graduate apprentices who set up their businesses is on the rise.  Although they preferred highly accessible areas that guaranteed high patronage of their services the absence of such spaces due to inefficiencies in the urban land market or a lack of a clear regulation that addresses their specific needs have caused them to settle in areas that are available to them.  It was also evident that the more concentrated the location of their activities are the higher the number of trips it generates across the urban space. Having gained insight into the phenomenon, proposals have been made as to how best the unmet space needs of the graduate apprentices can be met so as to mitigate the negative effects that results from unplanned, uncoordinated and unmet space needs. Keywords Informal, graduate apprentices, space needs, urban managemen

Predicting Credit Default among Micro Borrowers in Ghana

Microfinance institutions play a major role in economic development in many developing countries. However many of these microfinance institutions are faced with the problem of default because of the non-formal nature of the business and individuals they lend money to. This study seeks to find the determinants of credit default in microfinance institutions. With data on 2631 successful loan applicants from a microfinance institution with braches all over the country we proposed a Binary logistic regression model to predict the probability of default. We found the following variables significant in determining default: Age, Gender, Marital Status, Income Level, Residential Status, Number of Dependents, Loan Amount, and Tenure. We also found default to be more among the younger generation and in males. We however found Loan Purpose not to be significant in determining credit default. Microfinance institutions could use this model to screen prospective loan applicants in order to reduce the level of default. Keywords: Microfinance, Loan Default, Default Prediction, Logistic Regressio