An Introduction to Nkwanta
Nkwanta lies in the North East of Ghana in an area of extreme deprivation, where the only means of survival is subsistence farming. The region has been largely overlooked by major charities and aid programmes due to its remoteness and poor communication links with the rest of the world.
The Northern part of Volta Region is designated as a deprived area. The main approach road is un tarred and often impassable during the rainy season. This has meant that no commercial companies have been willing to invest in the region.
The district is bounded to the west by Krachi District, from which it is separated by the Oti arm of the Volta Lake and to the south by the Kadjebi District, both of which are also in the Volta Region. It also shares boundaries with the Republic of Togo on the east and the Nanumba District of the Northern Region to the north.
Nkwanta is the largest of the 22 districts in Volta The district capital is Nkwanta. There are some political implications as this region strongly supports the Opposition Party. In African politics this does not help to promote Government investment. There are also many different tribes in the area and conflicts do arise. Whilst not dangerous, these differences work to hold back development in the region.
Statistics about the area
- The average household size for the district is 6 and that of the region is 4.7., although many families, especially in the villages, are larger. Some families are divided, with the adults being obliged to seek work elsewhere.
- The 2000 population and Housing Census recorded 18.971 houses in the Nkwanta District.
- There is a 5 to 10 % higher proportion of children in the district under the age of fourteen compared to the whole of the region and there are one or more dependents per household
- Nkwanta District has 76% of the population living in rural areas and in scattered settlements.
- There are 25 kindergartens in the district and a first cycle education system made up of 91 primary, 38 junior secondary schools and three senior secondary schools.
- School attendance is poor, especially in the villages. Overall there are twice as many boys in basic education as girls and many girls do not complete their education, despite it now being free for the first 9 years.
- A substantial number of schools in the district require rehabilitation or new classroom blocks especially in the northern part of the district where schools meet under sheds and in the open air. Facilities such as libraries, furniture, equipment and textbooks are inadequate. Practical subjects are not usually taught due to of lack of equipment and teacher expertise. The new curriculum highlights ICT but only a handful of schools have power and none have computers at basic level. The 2000 Census showed that 70.2% of the district population aged 15 years and above are not literate. This is far higher than the regional figure of 41.7% and the national figure of 42.1%. The illiteracy rate among women is 77.0% whilst that of men is 63.2%
The Ghana Education Project is working to change these statistics for the better
through education, training and improved infrastructure.
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