Anthropological and demographic studies show that in sub-Sahara Africa a large proportion of non-orphaned children (up to 1/3 in many communities) live with neither parent but often with relatives for a significant part of their childhood. This practice is referred to as child fostering or fosterage. Child fostering is therefore understood in the literature as the transfer, and/or sharing, of parental responsibility of children and young people or simply the movement of children and young people between and within families. The practice is both an age-old and a modern phenomenon which has implications in the daily and future lives of those children involved including their nutrition, health, education, migration and ultimately their best interests. Depending on the context, culture, rationale and families involved in the fostering of a particular child the practice is carried out differently across geographies and sometimes within geographies as a result of which it deserves academic attention. The overarching aim of this study is therefore to explore the cultural conceptualisations and understandings of child fostering and the concept of the child's best interests among the Dagomba of northern Ghana. The study also examines the challenges of existing legislation and policies in Ghana regarding the practice. The study employed a qualitative research approach and involved children and young people, birth and foster parents and professionals who influence policies about children and young people in Ghana. In total, 42 respondents participated in individual interviews. I also used 'spider diagrams' as a supplementary research instrument for children and young people because I considered these child-friendly, fun and culturally appropriate for their ages (See Appendix IX). The emergent themes are explored and discussed in four findings chapters under part four of the thesis. The majority of respondents demonstrated extensive knowledge about child fostering and the concept of the child's best interests. Respondents' critical views and their recommendations for legislation and policy in Ghana are reflected on in the penultimate chapter. Finally, recommendations are made by way of contribution to theory, policy and practice. The research also suggests areas for future research by way of a reflection.

abstract: Many global development initiatives focus on improving access to safe and affordable water. Governments and infrastructure in rapidly urbanizing cities struggle to meet the increased demand for water, especially in peri-urban and informal settlements of sub-Saharan Africa. The private sector, in the form of small water enterprises (SWEs), plays an increasing role in satisfying demand for water, but their greater effects have seldom been investigated. This research explores how SWEs affect access to household water in a peri-urban settlement of Accra, Ghana and investigates their social, economic, and environmental impacts in the community. This research also examines how SWEs influence security and sustainability goals within the framing concepts of the US Army’s Stability doctrine and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The methods employed in this study were interviews, observation, and review of existing literature and case studies. Results of this qualitative analysis reveal that while SWEs increase and diversify local access to clean water, provide economic opportunities and jobs—especially to women—they also present environmental and health concerns when unregulated and unaddressed by educators, city officials, and community leaders. Further, in cases where municipal governments cannot provide safe and consistent access to clean water in the given location, results show that SWEs enterprises can work in cohesion with both the SDGs and the US Army stability goals. Moving forward, city officials, development programs, and US Army stability doctrine should consider supporting SWEs to increase water access and improve other developmental outcomes, while working to avoid potentially negative environmental and health outcomes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Sustainability 2019

Thesis (Ph.D. (Statistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / Refer to docutment

Supply chain disruptions are more prevalent in Ghana as businesses develop and become more complex. While business leaders recognize the importance of reducing the exposure to disruptions, 83 % of companies still suffer a form of disruption. Using the systems theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies supply chain managers in Ghana use to reduce disruptions in the supply chain. The data collection was through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews from 12 supply chain managers who gave tape-recorded interview responses to 8 questions. Transcript evaluation, member checking, and methodological triangulation ensured reliability and strengthened the credibility of the data collected. Data analysis revealed 6 themes, which included identification of disruptions before they occur, information sharing and collaboration between partners, management strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions, inventory optimization, availability of human capital, energy, and finance problems. The identification of disruptions was important to participants because they believed if they identified potential disruptions they might prevent them from happening. The collaboration between partners was important because participants believed that the speed at which stakeholders work together after a disruption determines the extent of the cost and the recovery period. Business leaders could apply the findings to provide insight to businesses to reduce disruptions, improve best practices, and increase business profits. Implications for social change include the enhancement of company profits given efficiencies in the supply chain. Such increase in profits leads to increases in taxes, which contributes to the overall betterment of the local communities.

No description available.

The Volta Basin covers most of the major food producingdistricts of Ghana. Thus said, it is considered as the foodbasket of Ghana. This perception underscores the need toprotect the basins bio-physical environment and resource base.This concern has been mirrored by several initiatives both interms of policy and planning that aim at improving themanagement of the basin’s resource base to enable itspeople depend on it in meeting their livelihoods. Like mostcommunities that lie in the lower reaches of the Volta, thepeople of the South Tongu District have been brought under theimpact of the dam. Even though no extensive study has yet beenconducted to establish the extent of the dam’s impact inthe district, it is widely believed by the locals thatlivelihoods have been impacted by environmental changes. Keycomplaints include, amongst others, tree cover depletion,decline in soil fertility, poor agricultural productivity, lowrainfall and bush fires. At the district level some steps havebeen taken in the form of projects and programmes to addresspoverty and resource management issues, while others areunderway. This study seeks to contribute to the on-goinggeneral discussion concerning poverty and environmentalmanagement in the basin by presenting some perspectives fromfour villages, namely, Torsukpo, Agbogbla, Akato and Alesikpein the South Tongu District. From two perspectives, thesecommunities are considered as homogenous: (i) they are allpredominantlyeweswith respect to ethnic composition, and (ii)subsistence farming features as a key occupation in all thecommunities. Among the range of issues identified in thedistrict, the study discusses mainly conservation (with respectto tree planting), bush fires and co-operative management. Ittreats these issues with focuses on key socio-cultural factors.In the examination of these issues institutional matters suchas tenure are seen as central players in resource managementand are thus given attention. While information gathered hereincontributes generally to deepening knowledge on the prevailingproblems, some recommendations are also offered as possiblesteps to improving resource management and livelihoods in theDistrict. <b>Key words:</b>environment; natural resources; lower volta;local people; livelihood

Following the increased attention income differences/inequality has gained within the area of economic geography and among policy-planning; this study seeks to explore and analyze the factors affecting income differences in the regions of Ghana. From the use of regional (10 regions) panel data for 1960, 1970, 1984 and 2000; the results show a direct link between socio-demographic factors and regional income differences/inequality and also the impact of ethnic and religious composition on regional income differences. It was identified that ethnicity and religious compositions have different impacts on regional income differences. Christians have positive effect on regional income due to their fairly representation in almost all the regions likewise the Akans, but have negative effect on regional income. And also high population density in a region reduces the mean regional income, similarly high concentration of population aged 60years and over reduces the regional income. Evidence from the results empirically conclude that regions with high share of aged population, Akans, Muslims and high population density have low regional income compared with regions with high share of Christians.

This thesis explores the author’s experience of fieldwork in Western Ghana while volunteering to promote gender equality at an elementary school. Analyzing the stages of preparation for fieldwork, situating the self in the field, conducting fieldwork, and returning from the field, illustrate some of the strengths and weaknesses of NGO and volunteer involvement for the combined purposes of conducting ethnographic fieldwork. Reflecting on these processes and the presence of the researcher allows for a critical understanding of issues in the field; such as children’s responsibility and ethnic discrimination. The complex of the researcher’s multiple identities in the field, including volunteer, researcher, and white woman, affect the experience and results of the fieldwork; the significance of which is reflected upon through autoethnography.

This thesis explores the author’s experience of fieldwork in Western Ghana while volunteering to promote gender equality at an elementary school. Analyzing the stages of preparation for fieldwork, situating the self in the field, conducting fieldwork, and returning from the field, illustrate some of the strengths and weaknesses of NGO and volunteer involvement for the combined purposes of conducting ethnographic fieldwork. Reflecting on these processes and the presence of the researcher allows for a critical understanding of issues in the field; such as children’s responsibility and ethnic discrimination. The complex of the researcher’s multiple identities in the field, including volunteer, researcher, and white woman, affect the experience and results of the fieldwork; the significance of which is reflected upon through autoethnography.

Fumonisin B1 is the most prevalent congener of the fumonisin mycotoxins produced by Fusarium verticilliodies and is considered by many to be the most toxic. Fumonisin B1 has been classified by IARC as a class 2B carcinogen. This is primarily due to evidence suggesting increased exposure to FB1 through contaminated foodstuffs is responsible for increased incidence of esophageal cancer in regions of China and South Africa. Fumonisin B1 exposure has also been implicated in the increased incidence of neural tube defects along the Texas/Mexico border. Therefore the principal goals of this research were to 1) Identify sorbent materials that would be compatible with the chemical characteristics of fumonisin B1 and evaluate their ability to sequester the toxin using established in vitro techniques; 2) evaluate urinary FB1 as a biomarker of exposure from a fumonisin contaminated diet; 3) utilize urinary FB1 as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the efficacy of NS in reducing biomarkers of FB1 bioavailability in a Ghanaian population suspected to be co-exposed to aflatoxins and fumonisins. Isothermal analysis and an alternative animal model were examined and compared to previously published results to determine the sorbent toxin interaction activity in vitro as a predictor of in vivo efficacy. An HPLC method for detection and quantitation of urinary FB1 was developed based on methods previously adapted for primary amine and biomarker analysis. Urinary FB1 was evaluated as an HPLC detectable biomarker using a rodent model. Calcium and sodium montmorillonite clays were selected to interact with the positive charge on FB1 at low pH and sorb the molecule. Ferrihydrite was selected to interact with the negative charge on the FB1 molecule at neutral to high pH. While both polarities of sorbent were effective, montmorillonite clays demonstrated a higher capacity for sorption of FB1 than ferrihydrite. These in vitro results were confirmed in a rodent model where urinary FB1 was reduced 27% in NovaSil treated rats vs. controls. Finally, in a Ghanaian population co-exposed to aflatoxins and fumonisins, urinary FB1 was significantly reduced at 2 time points when the NovaSil treatment was compared to placebo.