Vulnerable

The residents of the Akatsi district are dominantly rural agriculturists; mainly food crop producers. They are actually stricken with an extreme poverty.

Most of the children are unable to attend school as result of the inability of their  parent to pay for their school fees this accounted for the high school drop out rate of 19.9% in the district.

There are number of physically challenged persons in the district. Records at the department of social welfare indicate that there are 54 registered physically challenged persons in the District. Most of them are without employable skills.

There are no official records on street children in the District. However, Child workers are visible on the street of Akatsi, peddling of petty items such as fruits, confectionery, truck pushing, engagement in agriculture ventures and other form of merchandise. The causes of child labour are many. Whereas poverty has been identified as the main cause of child labour.

Some fetish priests in the District are practicing Trokosi. Trokosi is the practice whereby a virgin is offered to A priest in atonement for sins committed by her ancestors.

The District Assembly in conjunction with NGO’s such as International needs are making efforts towards the eradication of this tradition which is anti - social and violation of human rights. Some of these trokosis are being trained in various vocations to be economically self-dependence.

Exemption Packages

The government’s exemptions package for the vulnerable population is being provided. Beneficiaries include paupers, the aged (70 years and above), pregnant women and children less than five years of age.

An amount of 3,617,200.00 has been spent on exemptions as at June 30th 2002. A total of 344 elderly, were exempted. 1,819 antenatal attendances have also been exempted, as well as 28 paupers.