Rural-urban migration in nadowli district of the upper west region, ghana: a curse or a blessing to the aged?

Type Working Paper
Title Rural-urban migration in nadowli district of the upper west region, ghana: a curse or a blessing to the aged?
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2014
URL http://ir.ucc.edu.gh/dspace/bitstream/123456789/1668/1/Alenoma Grace conference paper _revised.pdf
Abstract
Old age is a state of life in the life cycle and it comes with its challenges including physical deterioration and inability to engage in active economic activity. In Ghana, two categories of older people can be identified; those that have retired from working in the informal sector including farming on one hand, and those who have retired from working in the formal sector on the other. In Ghana, there is no welfare system for the aged especially those who did not have the privilege of retiring from formal sector employment. Studies reveal an upward trend in the aged population with the greater percentage of them living in rural communities. While this group of people is dependent, current studies of migration indicate that there is high exodus of the active population especially from the rural to the urban areas as a result of poverty, limited socio-economic activities and poor agricultural outputs due to changing climatic conditions. This paper discusses how migration is impacting on the social, economic and health conditions of older persons in the Nadowli district. Primary data was collected from 84 older persons in six rural communities in the district using the interview technique. The study revealed that most of the aged in rural communities are not getting any support from their out-migrant children for their upkeep and decent living as older persons. Nearly all of them still engage in some economic activities (largely farming) for survival. Even though most of them participate in social activities in the community, they suffer frequent ill-health. The paper recommends that there should be sensitization campaigns through the media to educate the active population to incorporate care for older persons living in rural areas in their planning for the basic needs of their individual households. Support systems in the family should be encouraged to avert a total collapse of traditional Ghanaian family values and to help the aged live a dignified life.

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