Community Needs
Harmonized Community Needs and Aspirations - with tables

All the community needs were harmonized to constitute the district needs / perspective of development issues. The rationale for harmonizing the project / needs was to cluster projects that are similar and further prioritised these based on agreed criteria with the view to scaling down on the number of similar projects that can be undertaken by the district within the planned period.

Key

1    Strong Relationship -3
2    Moderate Relationship-2
3    Weak Relationship-1
4    No Relationship-0

Vulnerability

Basically, Amansie Central District which was recently created is deprived of basic social facilities such as good health –care, potable water, accessible road network and quality schools. Among the factors which have invariably predisposed majority of the people to vulnerability are:

Inadequate basic schools in the district resulting in high school drop out rate especially among girls.

High incidence of teenage pregnancy and teenage abortion.

The presence of quack doctors and drug peddlers

Beliefs in superstition as a result of high level of illiteracy and ignorance.

High rate of divorce and separation as results of loose Marriages.

Children in difficult situations

High incidence of child labour due to parental irresponsibility: especially in ‘galamsey’ operation areas.

Farm labourers especially in the rural communities.

Incidence of defilement which are often not reported but settled at home.

Drug use and abuse (including consumption of alcohol) and Children involved in the distilling and sale of alcoholic drink.

The above deny children their rights and opportunities to education and recreation.

Children with special Problems

Incidence of high rate of deaf and dumb among children, even in Jacobu.

Epilepsy, autism and other mentally related illnesses

Orphans and needy children as a result of death of parents, especially HIV /AIDS.

Bilharzia

Persons with Disabilities

No comprehensive data on the extent of people with disability exists. However, about 50 persons with various levels of disability have applied for support from the District Assembly including 8 school children at the basic school level. These persons received micro credit support to expand their trading and vocational careers. Others also received assistance to undergo orthopedic and medical treatment.

No.                 Case                                            No. Reported 

1.                    Marital Disputes                              20
2.                    Paternity cases                                  6
3.                    Lack of Maintenance                       22
4.                    Teenage Pregnancy                        10
5.                    Wife Beating                                     7
6.                    Denial of Property/Inheritance          5

More than 50% of these cases were referred to the Family Tribunal or the Domestic and Violent Unit (DOVU) as they could not be settled at the agency level. 

Social Interventions

Inadequate Social Welfare interventions inadequate welfare supporting agencies and supporting staff in the provision of Social Welfare services.

Lack of District Court to adjudicate in criminal, civil and Welfare / Social cases.

Lack of Family Tribunal and the Juvenile courts.

Suggestions / Recommendations

Provision of Welfare fund to support the extremely vulnerable, destitute, paupers, vagrants etc.

The Court and Police should enforce District Assembly bye-laws and attach sanctions to them in accordance with National and International Treaties eg.

The Children Act, (1998), UN convention on the Rights of the child etc.

Establishment of the Child Panel System, by D/A to arbitrate on Minor Criminal cases.

Including of Women in the decentralization Process, Support Women groups and encourage Girl Child Education.

Implications for Development

High school drop-out, incidence of teenage pregnancy, disability of all forms and other debilitating illnesses have adverse effect on the human resources development of the district. Consequently, these issues need to be addressed to promote future manpower needs of the district.