Non-Formal Education Division - Central Region

PE COAST

1.         Background of the District: Geographical location and Population

 

The Cape Coast Metropolitan is bounded on the South by the Gulf of Guinea, west by the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipal, East by the Abura-Aseibu-Kwamankesi district and north by the Twifo-Heman-Lower Denkyira District. The Metropolis covers an area of 122 sq/km and is smallest Metropolis in the country. The capital, Cape Coast, is also the capital of the Central Region. The population of the Cape Coast Metropolitan area (excluding Aggrey Memorial Zion Secondary School) was 54,123 in 1960 and 69,495 in 1970, giving an inter-censal increase of 28.40%. In 1984 and 2000 the population increases again   to   84,477 and 118,106 respectively, indicating a substantial increase of 39.8% for the 14-year period. The population of the metropolis is currently (2010) estimated to be 145,246. The Male/Female ratio is 94.4:100. In 1984, there were 42,855 males as against 42,583 females in the municipal area, giving a sex ratio of 100 to 101 females at the time. In 2000 the figures were 57,367 males and 60,741 females.

 

2.   Economic Activity

In the Cape Coast Metropolis, agriculture is the main source of livelihood in the rural communities. In 1984 10.5% of the economically active population of the district was engaged in farming and fishing (Ghana 1984, 2000). Today, the figure has substantially increased to 70%

 

3.   Current literacy rate by gender

Adult literacy rate in the region is slightly more than 50%, with the highest being 75.3% in Cape Coast Metropolis. There is a larger proportion of literate males (69.8%) than females (46.3%).

Nearly 40% of the region inhabitants have never been to school. About 50% in the region have attained primary or middle/JHS education. Very few people have gone beyond the basic level to the secondary and tertiary level. At the post-secondary (pre-tertiary) there are more males than females with the exception of Cape Coast where there are more females (5.5%) than males (2.7%)

4.   Status of literacy classes on the ground (with figures)

The Cape Coast Metropolitan NFED is divided into five zones which include Amanful/Ekon (zone 1), Ola/Apewosika (zone 2), Abura (zone 3), Mpeasem (zone 4), and Efutu (zone 5). The office is currently managing about sixteen (16) classes of batch 16 and 17 as well as five (6) model classes within its catchment area.All the aforementioned zones have classes under them with the exception of Ola/Apewosika zone for which the division is yet to establish or recruit learners for the impending batch eighteen (18). The division has directed the programme assistant for Ola/Apewosika to establish two (2) classes for batch eighteen (18) since there is no class there. The office has also established a new model class comprising of three learners namely Miss Sheila Bentum, Mrs. Cindy Mensah and Mrs. Emelia Baba. It is a special class being organized in the office premises and is facilitated by Augustine Daniel Aboraborah (Amanful/Ekon supervisor). 

The tables below outline the details of batch 16 and 17 classes currently in operation.

 

ZONE ONE (1) - AMANFUL/EKON

 

No.	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Ekon Catholic	14	13	27	Tues., Thurs. and Sat.	4-6:00pm
2.	Brofoyedur U.F.T.C	3	27	30	Mon., Thurs., Sat	4-6:00pm
Total		17	40	57	-	-

 

ZONE THREE (3) - ABURA

 

No.	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	St. John The Baptist- Pedu Catholic	4	16	20	Tues. and Sun.	6:30-8:30pm
2.	Wiomua Meth. Mputu Class	3	14	17	Sun., Tues. and Fri.	8-9:30pm
3.	Wiomua Cath. Church	3	18	21	Sun., Tues. and Fri.	7-8:30pm
4.	Church of Christ-Dogo	7	10	17	Mon. and Tues.	6:30pm-8:30pm
Total		17	58	75	-	-

 

 

ZONE FIVE (5) - EFUTU

 

No.	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Asamasa Comm.	7	7	14	Sun., Mon., Wed. and Thurs.	6-8:00am (Sun)  6:30-9:00pm (Other Days)
2.	Patasse Comm.	13	7	20	Sun. and Fri.	4:00pm-6:00pm
Total		20	14	34	-	-

 

 

 

Summary of Batch 16:

 

No.	Batch No.	Zones	Total No. of Learners by Sex		Total
			Male	Female
1.	16	Amanful/Ekon, Abura and Efutu	54	112	166
Total			54	112	166

 

 

ZONE ONE (1) - AMANFUL/EKON

 

No.	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Tim of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Brickfield Lit. Class	12	18	30	Mondays Tuesdays Thursdays	6:30pm-8:30pm 6:30pm-8:30pm 6:30pm-8:30pm
2.	United we stand Lit. Class	14	11	25	Mondays Wednesdays Fridays	7:00pm-9:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Total		26	29	55	-	-

 

 

ZONE THREE (3)- ABURA

 

 

No.	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Kakomdo Pent.	4	13	17	Tuesdays Wednesday Saturday	5:00-7:00pm 5:00-7:00pm 5:00-7:00pm
Total		4	13	17

 

 

 

ZONE FOUR (4)- MPEASEM

 

No.	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Mpeasem Zion Lit. Class	1	15	16	Sundays Mondays Tuesdays	8:00pm-10:00pm 8:00pm-10:00pm 8:00pm-10:00pm
2.	Akaikrom Lit Class	1	8	9	Tuesdays Fridays Saturdays	7:30pm -9:30pm 7:30pm -9:30pm 7:30pm -9:30pm
Total		2	23	25

 

 

ZONE FIVE (5)- EFUTU

 

 

Summary of Batch 16 and 17:

 

No.	Batch No.	Zones	Total No. of Learners by Sex		Total
			Male	Female
1.	16	Amanful/Ekon, Abura and Efutu (1, 3 & 5)	54	112	166
2.	17	Amanful/Ekon, Abura, Mpeasem and Efutu (1, 3, 4 & 5)	59	99	158
Total			113	211	324

 

Update of Model Classes

ZONE ONE -AMANFUL/EKON

 

No	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Redemption Baptist model class	5	9	14	Mon., Thurs., Sat	6pm-8pm
Total		5	9	14

 

ZONE THREE - ABURA

 

No.	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Basakrom Pent. Lit. Class	4	18	22	Sunday  Saturday	1-3pm 5-7pm
2.	Deeper Life- Kakumdo	6	6	12	Fridays   Sundays	5-7:00pm   12-3:00pm
Total		10	24	34	-	-

 

ZONE FOUR -MPEASEM

 

No	Name of the Classes	No. of Learners by Sex		Total	Days of Meeting	Time of Meeting
		Male	Female
1.	Krofofordo Ass. God	3	17	20	Sundays  Tuesdays. Thursday	1-3pm 7-9pm 7-9pm
2	Winners chapel int'l	-	9	9	Sun Tues	3-6pm 3-6pm
Total		3	26	29

 

GREAT COMMISSION CHURCH MODEL CLASS

No.	name of the class	No. of learners by sex		Total	Days of meeting	Time of meeting
		male	female
1.	Great commission  church	10	12	22	Mondays Thursday saturdays	6-8pm 6-8pm 6-8pm
Total		10	12	22

 

SPECIAL CLASS

 

No.	Name of the class	No. of learners by sex		Total	Days of meeting	Time of meeting
		Male	female
1.	Special class	-	3	3	Mondays Tuesdays wednesdays	10am-12pm each day
Total		-	3	3

 

 

 

5.   Role of communities

The various communities that are covered under the national functional literacy programme of NFED in the Cape Coast Metropolis have played a remarkable role in promoting and realization of its core objectives of establishment.

The opinion leaders such as the Traditional Authorities, Assembly Members, Pastors etc. in the various communities are cardinal stakeholders in promoting the activities of NFED within the metropolitan. For instance, they have been instrumental in the provision of meeting places for the classes and also offer volunteers as facilitators for the entire programme. They have also served in the capacity as class advisory committee members in the various classes established

 

6.   Brief on district partners

Our main partner is the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. They have been a source of support in promoting the national functional literacy programme within Cape Coast and its environs.

 

7.   Brief on use support systems in the region(i.e. partner radio stations and book-boxes)

The office has supplied all classes under its jurisdiction with Book-Boxes. Some of the classes have successfully completed the various lessons in both primer one and two and have been therefore supplied with supplementary books. The intention is to polish the neo-literates in terms of pronunciation, reading and calculation.

It's rather unfortunate that the Metro NFED have not been able to partner any radio station in promoting and propagating its programme via air. Though effort was made to ensure that this noble course is executed but to no avail due to serious financial and logistical constraints the office have been battling with for years.

 

8.   Status of income generating activities in the district

The office is currently supervising two viable IGAs in the Metropolis and that is Asamasa NFED Co -operative Farmers and Marketing Society and Ekon Catholic (Trading in Gari and Kerosine). The rest are Wiomua Methodist (Gari Processing) and Wiomua Catholic (Palm Oil Production). These two other groups exist but not as vibrant as Asamasa and Ekon. These groups have been operating since 2010 with the exception of Asamasa group that has been operating since September 2009. Their major product ranges from Kenkey, Gari, Palm Oil and Trading.  These IGA groups started with their own money and later NFED (Headquarters) through the Regional Office came in to support some of them with a loan to expand their project.  For instance Asamasa group received their first share in May 2010 with an amount of Four Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 400.00) with a stability rate of 20% to improve their income generating activity project. The group was able to pay this amount fully as agreed upon and in view of this, an amount of Six Hundred Ghana cedis (GH¢600.00) and Three Hundred Ghana (GH¢ 300.00) were given to Asamasa and Ekon respectively in May this year to expand their flourishing project with a stability rate of 20 %. This loan is to be settled within a period of eight months starting from July 2011 to February 2012. As a matter of fact both groups have commenced payment with Asamasa group and Ekon paying a sum of Two Hundred and Forty Ghana cedis (Ghc 240.00) and One Hundred and Eighty Four Ghana Cedis (Ghc184.00) respectively. Both have an outstanding debt of Four Hundred and Eighty Ghana Cedis (Ghc 480.00) and One Hundred and seventy-six Ghana cedis (Ghc 176.00) to settle respectively.

However, looking at the effort of Wiomua Methodist and Wiomua Catholic, they equally deserve to be given loan in order to expand their project.

 

9.   The table below gives details of loan received from Headquarter through the regional office to various IGA groups

 

 

No	Name of the Group	Activity	Amt. Received (¢)	Stability Rate %	Source	Total  Amount	Amount paid	Balance c/d	Period of Payment
1.	Asamasa NFED Co-operative Farmers and Marketing Society	Kenkey production	600.00	20.00	NFED Head Quarters	720.00	240	139.00	8 months
2.	Ekon catholic	Gari and Kerosene trading	300.00	20.00	NFED Head Quarters	360.00	184	110.00	8 months

 

 

10. Innovations and the way forward for the district.

 

Currently, the Metro NFED has five zones and the office is hoping to create more zones in about two year's period. The Metro's intention for the period stipulated above is to establish more classes and thereby recruiting and equipping more learners with adequate knowledge in reading, writing and numeracy.

 

A lot of efforts have been advance to increase the number of IGA's in the metropolis. The office is planning seriously to establish more IGA's in all the classes on the ground. The office believes that if this is executed properly, it will go a long way to sustain the programme. This will even entice more non-literates to join the programme and of course it will lead to the major aim of this establishment. For this reason, the management contacted the Member of Parliament (MP), Metropolitan Chief Executive and the Metropolitan Co-ordinating Director to help us get contact of some of the benevolent organizations who are also fighting poverty to come to the aid of these IGA groups under the jurisdiction of the NFED Cape Coast Metro. The three (3) noble personalities have also agreed to help us in divers ways to sustain the programme.

 

There has been a mutual consensus between the NFED Metro Co-ordinator and the Metro. Director of LESDEP and have agreed to help the various IGA groups secure a loan to expand their business.

 

The think tanks of the division is also considering a proposal to the headquarters through the regional office to make reforms in the entire operations of NFED in order to ascertain its core objective of establishment. This has been necessitated by the sophisticated nature of the Ghanaian economy. The daily activities of the learners prevent them from attending classes regularly and also on time. In view of this, the Metro office is proposing to the headquarters to incorporate both vocational training and learning whereby the former will take about 60% of the time allocated for the programme and the remaining 40% for learning. Though this system is demanding in terms of finance and logistics but the office believes is the best solution to the problems at the grassroots. For instance the sewing machines that were formerly used as incentives to facilitators could have been used to train the learners to acquire skills in sewing and so on.