Analysis of the impact of alternative enterprise interventions on poverty and livelihoods in rural Ghana

Despite the spate of urbanisation fuelled among other factors by rural-urban migration across the African region, majority of people continue to reside in rural communities with greater burden of poverty and livelihood vulnerabilities. Ghana’s case has not been different. However, in response to the high incidence of rural poverty, the seasonal nature of agricultural livelihoods and the attendant increase of unemployed youth engaged in rural-urban drift, successive governments of Ghana introduced and supported the Rural Enterprise Programme (REP) to promote livelihood diversification and restructuring of the rural economy. The REP phases I (1995-2002) and II (2003-2011) sought to contribute to the development of competitive rural medium and small-scale enterprises (MSEs) in beneficiary districts backed by good quality, relevant, sustainable and market-driven business development support services. For almost two decades of implementation, the REP has run on policy assumption that, focusing on direct agricultural activities alone cannot produce substantial rural poverty reduction and support the actualisation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in rural Ghana. However, performance of the REP on its assumption requires verification. Following mixed research techniques, this paper uses the experiences of selected beneficiary communities from the Ajumako- Enyan-Essiam District to examine how the alternative livelihood development interventions of the REP have impacted rural livelihoods and poverty. The extent to which rural enterprise development interventions have engendered livelihood diversification and affected the asset-base of rural households, and how the interventions have produced positive livelihood outcomes and poverty reduction in the intervention area studied are discussed in this paper. Keywords: Rural Development; Poverty; Livelihoods; Micro-enterprise Development; Ghan

The Prospects of Ecotourism as a Conservation and Development Tool in Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary in Ghana

Despite the copious contestations depicting the inefficacies of ecotourism as a conservation and development tool, nonetheless there is increasing trend that depicts ecotourism as a potential tool for conservation and development. This article seeks to tease out the prospects of ecotourism activities on the Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary and how that contributes to the conservation of the fauna and flora in the Sanctuary and towards the development of the local community. The Sanctuary lies between latitudes 60 40 and 60 44 North of the Equator and longitudes 10 15 and 10 22 West of the Greenwich. The total area of the Reserve-for ecotourism is 54.6 sq. km and falls under the Juaso District of Ashanti Region. A total of 63 respondents from the village of Kubease were selected for the study. Questionnaires were administrated and responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Themes sought from respondents included  community involvement in marketing ecotourism, development of ecotourism resources in the community, reasons for residents’ enthusiasm about ecotourism and the benefits community members derive from the Sanctuary.  The research found out that at the moment, there is some semblance of ecotourism based on Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary as a conservation and development tool. In addition, the study revealed that majority of the residents are enthused about ecotourism and appealed to be allowed to be more involved in the operation of the ecotourism site. Keywords: Ecotourism, Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary, Conservation, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Developmen

The Forest Fire Problem of Degrading Tain II Forest Reserve in Ghana: Rethinking Community Participation in Fire Management and Sustainable Forestry

Until 1983, uncontrolled wildfires were relatively uncommon especially in the forest zones of Ghana. However, the period following the 1980s has seen a significant rise in wildfires, with devastating effects on forest resources and sustainable agricultural livelihoods. Thus, the rise in wildfire incidence in Ghana since 1983 raises questions about the effectiveness of fire management strategies adopted over time. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of indigenous fire management systems before 1983 and conventional fire management systems introduced after the 1983 fires in fringed communities around the Tain II forest reserve. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques were used to collect data from five communities. A total sample of 438 respondents comprising household heads and fire volunteer squads were interviewed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Respondents were of the view that despite the current challenges associated with their use, indigenous fire management systems could be more effective in curbing wildfires than the conventional fire management systems currently being employed. It is concluded that the success or failure of wildfire management in forest-fringed zones of Ghana depends on the degree of participation of local communities and institutions and the adequacy of support given to local fire volunteer squads.Keywords: Community forestry; fire management; local participation; forest degradation; Tain II Forest Reserve; Ghan

Preventive Healthcare Strategies and Impact among the Asante People of the Early Twentieth Century Gold Coast: A Historical Narrative and Lessons for the Present Sanitation Challenge in Kumase

This article focuses on the development of preventive health care of the Asante people of early twentieth century Gold Coast. Attention has been paid to the public health strategies put in place by the Colonial Administration as well as the efforts and collaboration between Traditional Authorities and the British Colonial Administration to prevent diseases in Asante and Kumase in particular. Lessons for the present sanitation challenge learnt from this historical piece gleaned severally from archival and secondary written sources have been discussed

Science, Technology and Healthcare Delivery in Ghana: A Historical Perspective = Tudomány, technológia és egészségügyi ellátás Ghánában: Történelmi perspektíva

In the last three decades, a number of studies have been undertaken concerning the impact of science and technological innovations on health sector reforms and responsive healthcare delivery in most countries globally. However, few of these studies are placed in historical context and/or focused particularly on the case of Ghana. In addition, such studies are mostly carried out in the biomedical and physical sciences with very few in the social sciences. Against this background, this paper draws experiences from health professionals in purposively selected institutions in Ghana and supported with critical review of related literature, to answer two central research questions. First, how has science and technological advancement effectively and efficiently supported healthcare delivery system in Ghana? Second, how have post-independence health sector reforms in Ghana been responsive to the needs of patients due to advances in science and technology? Based on empirical results, we argue in this paper that over the last few decades, advances in science and technology have significantly improved Ghana’s health delivery system and promoted responsive healthcare particularly in the area of orthodox medical services. However, the gains from advances in science and technology need to be strengthened by the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Services and relevant stakeholders to improve health facilities and conditions especially in rural districts in the country

Comparative analysis of the socio-economic characteristics of Delta and Non-Delta spaces of Ghana: An input-output approach

This paper provides insights into the current socioeconomic and biophysical state of the Volta Delta, Ghana. We employed non-survey methods, notably the Flegg Location Quotient (FLQ) method of regionalization and construction of tables to develop environmentally extended input-output (IO) model for comparing the economic characteristics of the Volta Delta and the rest of the country. The main sources of data for doing the regionalization were District Analytical Reports. Results from the study indicate that the agricultural sector, trade and transport activities are much predominant in the delta than in the non-delta region. However, employment in services of public administration, financial and insurance, construction and crop production is higher in the non-delta than in the delta region. From a gendered perspective, the embodied work of women in the delta is high in services and manufacturing sectors, but less predominant in agriculture and fishing (compared to the males’ participation). Overall, the delta is found to be a net importer (embodied in goods and services from other regions, higher than in exports) of all the economic metrics used in the study, including agricultural land use, employment, energy and CO2 emissions.Keywords: Economic activities; Volta delta; Non-delta; Land use; Employment; Sector productions; Ghan

Macrophage susceptibility to infection by Ghanaian Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex lineages 4 and 5 varies with self-reported ethnicity

BackgroundThe epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) lineage 5 (L5) infections in Ghana revealed a significantly increased prevalence in Ewes compared to other self-reported ethnic groups. In that context, we sought to investigate the early phase of tuberculosis (TB) infection using ex vivo infection of macrophages derived from the blood of Ewe and Akan ethnic group volunteers with MTBC L4 and L5 strains.MethodsThe study participants consisted of 16 controls, among which self-reported Akan and Ewe ethnicity was equally represented, as well as 20 cured TB cases consisting of 11 Akans and 9 Ewes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from both healthy controls and cured TB cases. CD14+ monocytes were isolated and differentiated into monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) before infection with L4 or L5 endemic strains. The bacterial load was assessed after 2 hours (uptake) as well as 3 and 7 days post-infection.ResultsWe observed a higher capacity of MDMs from Ewes to phagocytose L4 strains (p < 0.001), translating into a higher bacillary load on day 7 (p < 0.001) compared to L5, despite the higher replication rate of L5 in Ewe MDMs (fold change: 1.4 vs. 1.2, p = 0.03) among the controls. On the contrary, within macrophages from Akans, we observed a significantly higher phagocytic uptake of L5 (p < 0.001) compared to L4, also translating into a higher load on day 7 (p = 0.04). However, the replication rate of L4 in Akan MDMs was higher than that of L5 (fold change: L4 = 1.2, L4 = 1.1, p = 0.04). Although there was no significant difference in the uptake of L4 and L5 among cured TB cases, there was a higher bacterial load of both L4 (p = 0.02) and L5 (p = 0.02) on day 7 in Ewe MDMs.ConclusionOur results suggest that host ethnicity (driven by host genetic diversity), MTBC genetic diversity, and individual TB infection history are all acting together to modulate the outcome of macrophage infections by MTBC

We used to 'chase the rains' away in the past: the role of cultural values and beliefs in shaping farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change in North-west Ghana

This paper explores how cultural values and beliefs influence farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change (CVC). Using Doggoh and Tie in North-west Ghana, the study reveals four narratives linked to cultural values and beliefs explaining climate change: a decline in ritual sacrifices, young people having sex outside homes, traders holding on to rains for business, and indiscriminate murder without necessary sacrifices. The study suggests that more qualitative studies on the role of cultural worldviews in shaping farmers' interpretations of climate changes are needed, as different cultural contexts may have different worldviews about climate change causes. This will contribute to our holistic understanding of the subject matter of the causes of CVC

Uptake and income distribution effects of targeted farm technologies on rice farmers in forest and Guinea Savannah Zones of Ghana: Does gender matter?

The issue of equitable income distribution has always been a critical objective of societies. Yet, little attention has been given to the influence of gender on outcomes of interventions. A study has established that gender is among the variables that affects income distribution of users of agricultural technologies but the extent and nature of its influence is hard to find in literature. To be able to fill this knowledge gap, data was collected from 917 individual rice farmers in Ghana. A two-step and selection bias model, Bourguignon, Fournier, and Gurgand (BFG), was adopted to reduce the severity of biases as a result of observable and unobservable factors. The result shows that gender widens the income gap between the two main gender groupings. The study is useful by offering policy suggestions to improve gender equity in targeted intervention