Children as ‘invisible’ contributors to household poverty reduction in Ghana

Abstract

Poverty reduction in Ghana has attracted varied approaches. Over the recent past decade, the government implemented a number of programmes tailored to reduce poverty. These include the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), School Feeding Programme, National Health Insurance Scheme, Capitation Fund and Poverty Reduction Support Credit. Recent data on poverty indicate that Ghana has achieved the first target of the Millennium Development Goal 1 (MDG 1). Beyond these poverty reduction programmes are children who contribute immeasurably to household poverty reduction, yet are largely unnoticed and least focused. As ‘invisible’ contributors, children’s role in socio-economic activities in agriculture (farming and fishing), commerce and other household endeavours are worth studying and reporting. The paper used both quantitative and qualitative data from a child-mobility research in four different settlement types namely urban, peri-urban, rural and remote-rural settlements in both Central and Brong Ahafo Regions. Using a survey questionnaire, a total of 1000 in school and out-of-school children aged between eight and 18 years. In addition, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, life histories and ethnographic dairies were used to collect qualitative data from children and adults in each of the settlements. Selected children from basic and secondary schools as well as personnel from the Departments of Geography and Regional Planning and Population and Health constituted the young and adult researchers. 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 of the children who sold earned between GHȼ7 and GHȼ15 per day to support household income. In addition, the children undertook varied household activities such as taking care of younger siblings. This enabled their parents to have adequate time to engage in socio-economic activities. Children’s contribution to household income and by extension, poverty reduction cannot be underemphasized. Their involvement in the socio-economic space needs to be further explored as a means of evaluating and reconceptualizing their contributions. By so doing these invisible contributors can be recognized and acknowledged