This past spring, ConDev Senior Advisor Fred Boadu traveled to Ghana to conduct a survey on street youth in the country.
On the streets of Accra, youth face issues such as harassment, vehicles and violence. By cultivating an interest in agriculture, the objective would be to not only provide land but to create a community. At the moment, though, the farm sector has labor constraints, and studies show that youth aren’t very interested in pursuing agricultural careers.
This study sought to determine the amount of compensation these young people would be willing to accept to do something different—i.e. resettle to a rural area to grow coffee or another crop. It also asked survey participants about their participation in government programs, as well as the risks and pressures they face. The goal of this survey was to provide an empirical figure that could then be used to assist the government and decision makers.
Dr. Boadu conducted the study using 24 personnel located at 75 traffic light throughout Accra, where children aggregate to sell items.