This article was originally published as: Contributions of a cash transfer programme to the sustainable livelihoods of older persons in the northern region of Ghana
Original Article Link: Read Original Article
Download PDF: Click Here to Download PDF
Abstract
Recent discoveries indicate that the demographic of the population aged 65 and above is increasing faster in African countries. There has been a contemporary thinking about ensuring that they live a life with dignity. The ageing population has an inalienable right to social protection, but some existing social assistance schemes are compromised by low coverage or inadequate benefits for older persons. Other schemes seem to have enhanced their livelihoods. This study explored the contributions of Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP), a cash transfer programme, to the sustainable livelihoods of older persons in the Northern Region of Ghana. A qualitative approach was used, involving 30 cash beneficiary household heads, of whom 15 were older persons and six key informants. The study employed semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. It was found that some beneficiaries use the cash to buy medicine for age-related illnesses, food, and productive tools. However, the challenges outweighed the benefits due to irregular payments and the small size of the cash to enable savings and health checkups. The study recommends prioritising many older persons for positive, sustainable livelihood outcomes.
Current and previous volumes are available at: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net
HOW TO REFERENCE USING ASWDNET STYLEKonlan S. S. (2024). Contributions of a cash transfer programme to the sustainable livelihoods of older persons in the Northern Region of Ghana. African Journal of Social Work, 14(4), 249-258. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i5.3
Authors
- Samson Sambian KONLAN (Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, South Africa)
Keywords
cash transfer, demographic change, Ghana, older persons, sustainable livelihoods
References
References not available for this article.
