I am Health and Development Geographer with research interests in Sanitation, Waste Management, Mobile Phones for Health (mHealth), Health Behaviours, Livelihoods and Resource Management. I am currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Phone: 243257101 Address: Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little ... more Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little is known about the impacts on children's lives, especially in the longer term. As part of a study on children's mobility in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, 70 child researchers received training to conduct peer research in their own communities. Evaluations at the time of the project suggested largely positive impacts on the child researchers: increased confidence, acquisition of useful skills and expanded social networks; however, in some cases, these were tempered with concerns about the effect on schoolwork. In the follow-up interviews 2 years later, several young Ghanaian researchers reported tangible benefits from the research activity for academic work and seeking employment, while negative impacts were largely forgotten. This study highlights the unforeseeable consequences of research participation on children's lives as they unfold in unpredictable ways and underscores the temporal nature of children's engagement in research.
The African communications &a... more The African communications 'revolution' has generated optimism that mobile phones might help overcome infrastructural barriers to healthcare provision in resource-poor contexts. However, while formal m-health programmes remain limited in coverage and scope, young people are using mobile phones creatively and strategically in an attempt to secure effective healthcare. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data collected in 2012-2014 from over 4500 young people (aged 8-25 y) in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, this paper documents these practices and the new therapeutic opportunities they create, alongside the constraints, contingencies and risks. We argue that young people are endeavouring to lay claim to a digitally-mediated form of therapeutic citizenship, but that a lack of appropriate resources, social networks and skills ('digital capital'), combined with ongoing shortcomings in healthcare delivery, can compromise their ability to do this effectively. The paper concludes by offering tentative suggestions for remedying this situation.
Ghana experienced rapid liberalisation in the mining sector in the 1980s and 90s which led to the... more Ghana experienced rapid liberalisation in the mining sector in the 1980s and 90s which led to the intensification of mining activities across mining zones in the country. This study therefore examined how operations of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) affect environmental justice in the Asutifi District. Using questionnaires, in-depth interview guides and observation checklist, data for the study were gathered from 217 randomly selected household respondents and 10 purposively selected key stakeholders. The results revealed widespread environmental injustices caused by mining that infringe on the rights of the residents of Asutifi District to live in safe and healthy environment they are entitled to. The paper recommends the application of international best practices by Newmont to reduce the adverse impacts of its activities on the environment and wellbeing of residents, and a revision of existing legislations on mining in Ghana in order to safeguard the wellbeing of communities a...
Agricultural land use in much of Brong-Ahafo region, Ghana has been shifting from the production ... more Agricultural land use in much of Brong-Ahafo region, Ghana has been shifting from the production of food crops towards increased cashew nut cultivation in recent years. This article explores everyday, less visible, gendered and generational struggles over family farms in West Africa, based on qualitative, participatory research in a rural community that is becoming increasingly integrated into the global capitalist system. As a tree crop, cashew was regarded as an individual man's property to be passed on to his wife and children rather than to extended family members, which differed from the communal land tenure arrangements governing food crop cultivation. The tendency for land, cash crops and income to be controlled by men, despite women's and young people's significant labour contributions to family farms, and for women to rely on food crop production for their main source of income and for household food security, means that women and girls are more likely to lose out when cashew plantations are expanded to the detriment of land for food crops. Intergenerational tensions emerged when young people felt that their parents and elders were neglecting their views and concerns. The research provides important insights into gendered and generational power relations regarding land access, property rights and intra-household decision-making processes. Greater dialogue between genders and generations may help to tackle unequal power relations and lead to shared decision-making processes that build the resilience of rural communities.
The International Journal of Humanities and Social studies, Dec 31, 2013
This article deals with the gender aspects of waste management in Ghana. Whilst both men and wome... more This article deals with the gender aspects of waste management in Ghana. Whilst both men and women could equally contribute to a successful domestic waste management in Ghana, my empirical data shows that the absolute majority of local actors perceive this task to be the duty of women. When asked, respondents often referred to local tradition and values saying “we [they] have been educated this way”. This suggests that the local attitudes could be linked to the way and manner members of the society are “enculturated” and socialized. This study aimed to examine the following: the relationship between gender3 and domestic waste management4, the patterns in attitudes towards waste management, and whether waste management based on gender created problems for households. The study used In-depth interviews, questionnaire, and observation to collect data. The study is situated within the social context theory which will be discussed in detail. The data showed that women seemed to be more responsible towards waste management compared to men. It was also found that whilst both women and men wanted improved waste management services, the women were less willing to pay for such services. The study recommends high involvement of women at local, sub-national and national level decision making (since they [women] in most cases deal directly with domestic waste) processes to help overcome the domestic waste management challenges confronting Ghana.
This research aimed to investigate the implications of changing agricultural land use from food p... more This research aimed to investigate the implications of changing agricultural land use from food production towards increased cashew cultivation for food security and poverty alleviation in Jaman North District, Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. Based on qualitative, participatory research with a total of 60 participants, the research found that increased cashew production had led to improvements in living standards for many farmers and their children over recent years. Global demand for cashew is projected to continue to grow rapidly in the immediate future and cashew-growing areas of Ghana are well placed to respond to this demand. Cashew farmers however were subject to price fluctuations in the value of Raw Cashew Nuts (RCN) due to unequal power relations with intermediaries and export buyer companies and global markets, in addition to other vulnerabilities that constrained the quality and quantity of cashew and food crops they could produce. The expansion of cashew plantations was leading to pressure on the remaining family lands available for food crop production, which community members feared could potentially compromise the food security of rural communities and the land inheritance of future generations.
Cultivation of cashew nuts in Ghana is expanding rapidly and is bringing benefits (more income) a... more Cultivation of cashew nuts in Ghana is expanding rapidly and is bringing benefits (more income) and potential problems (conflict over land access and threats to food security). Key recommendations to protect food security and alleviate poverty: •maximise yield quality and quantity from existing cashew trees •use and sale of by-products, spacing between trees for food crops •increase power of local farmers in negotiating prices •community dialogue over land use •investment, access to credit and education
Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little ... more Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little is known about the impacts on children's lives, especially in the longer term. As part of a study on children's mobility in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, 70 child researchers received training to conduct peer research in their own communities. Evaluations at the time of the
Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little ... more Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little is known about the impacts on children's lives, especially in the longer term. As part of a study on children's mobility in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, 70 child researchers received training to conduct peer research in their own communities. Evaluations at the time of the project suggested largely positive impacts on the child researchers: increased confidence, acquisition of useful skills and expanded social networks; however, in some cases, these were tempered with concerns about the effect on schoolwork. In the follow-up interviews 2 years later, several young Ghanaian researchers reported tangible benefits from the research activity for academic work and seeking employment, while negative impacts were largely forgotten. This study highlights the unforeseeable consequences of research participation on children's lives as they unfold in unpredictable ways and underscores the temporal nature of children's engagement in research.
The African communications &a... more The African communications 'revolution' has generated optimism that mobile phones might help overcome infrastructural barriers to healthcare provision in resource-poor contexts. However, while formal m-health programmes remain limited in coverage and scope, young people are using mobile phones creatively and strategically in an attempt to secure effective healthcare. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data collected in 2012-2014 from over 4500 young people (aged 8-25 y) in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, this paper documents these practices and the new therapeutic opportunities they create, alongside the constraints, contingencies and risks. We argue that young people are endeavouring to lay claim to a digitally-mediated form of therapeutic citizenship, but that a lack of appropriate resources, social networks and skills ('digital capital'), combined with ongoing shortcomings in healthcare delivery, can compromise their ability to do this effectively. The paper concludes by offering tentative suggestions for remedying this situation.
Ghana experienced rapid liberalisation in the mining sector in the 1980s and 90s which led to the... more Ghana experienced rapid liberalisation in the mining sector in the 1980s and 90s which led to the intensification of mining activities across mining zones in the country. This study therefore examined how operations of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) affect environmental justice in the Asutifi District. Using questionnaires, in-depth interview guides and observation checklist, data for the study were gathered from 217 randomly selected household respondents and 10 purposively selected key stakeholders. The results revealed widespread environmental injustices caused by mining that infringe on the rights of the residents of Asutifi District to live in safe and healthy environment they are entitled to. The paper recommends the application of international best practices by Newmont to reduce the adverse impacts of its activities on the environment and wellbeing of residents, and a revision of existing legislations on mining in Ghana in order to safeguard the wellbeing of communities a...
Agricultural land use in much of Brong-Ahafo region, Ghana has been shifting from the production ... more Agricultural land use in much of Brong-Ahafo region, Ghana has been shifting from the production of food crops towards increased cashew nut cultivation in recent years. This article explores everyday, less visible, gendered and generational struggles over family farms in West Africa, based on qualitative, participatory research in a rural community that is becoming increasingly integrated into the global capitalist system. As a tree crop, cashew was regarded as an individual man's property to be passed on to his wife and children rather than to extended family members, which differed from the communal land tenure arrangements governing food crop cultivation. The tendency for land, cash crops and income to be controlled by men, despite women's and young people's significant labour contributions to family farms, and for women to rely on food crop production for their main source of income and for household food security, means that women and girls are more likely to lose out when cashew plantations are expanded to the detriment of land for food crops. Intergenerational tensions emerged when young people felt that their parents and elders were neglecting their views and concerns. The research provides important insights into gendered and generational power relations regarding land access, property rights and intra-household decision-making processes. Greater dialogue between genders and generations may help to tackle unequal power relations and lead to shared decision-making processes that build the resilience of rural communities.
The International Journal of Humanities and Social studies, Dec 31, 2013
This article deals with the gender aspects of waste management in Ghana. Whilst both men and wome... more This article deals with the gender aspects of waste management in Ghana. Whilst both men and women could equally contribute to a successful domestic waste management in Ghana, my empirical data shows that the absolute majority of local actors perceive this task to be the duty of women. When asked, respondents often referred to local tradition and values saying “we [they] have been educated this way”. This suggests that the local attitudes could be linked to the way and manner members of the society are “enculturated” and socialized. This study aimed to examine the following: the relationship between gender3 and domestic waste management4, the patterns in attitudes towards waste management, and whether waste management based on gender created problems for households. The study used In-depth interviews, questionnaire, and observation to collect data. The study is situated within the social context theory which will be discussed in detail. The data showed that women seemed to be more responsible towards waste management compared to men. It was also found that whilst both women and men wanted improved waste management services, the women were less willing to pay for such services. The study recommends high involvement of women at local, sub-national and national level decision making (since they [women] in most cases deal directly with domestic waste) processes to help overcome the domestic waste management challenges confronting Ghana.
This research aimed to investigate the implications of changing agricultural land use from food p... more This research aimed to investigate the implications of changing agricultural land use from food production towards increased cashew cultivation for food security and poverty alleviation in Jaman North District, Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. Based on qualitative, participatory research with a total of 60 participants, the research found that increased cashew production had led to improvements in living standards for many farmers and their children over recent years. Global demand for cashew is projected to continue to grow rapidly in the immediate future and cashew-growing areas of Ghana are well placed to respond to this demand. Cashew farmers however were subject to price fluctuations in the value of Raw Cashew Nuts (RCN) due to unequal power relations with intermediaries and export buyer companies and global markets, in addition to other vulnerabilities that constrained the quality and quantity of cashew and food crops they could produce. The expansion of cashew plantations was leading to pressure on the remaining family lands available for food crop production, which community members feared could potentially compromise the food security of rural communities and the land inheritance of future generations.
Cultivation of cashew nuts in Ghana is expanding rapidly and is bringing benefits (more income) a... more Cultivation of cashew nuts in Ghana is expanding rapidly and is bringing benefits (more income) and potential problems (conflict over land access and threats to food security). Key recommendations to protect food security and alleviate poverty: •maximise yield quality and quantity from existing cashew trees •use and sale of by-products, spacing between trees for food crops •increase power of local farmers in negotiating prices •community dialogue over land use •investment, access to credit and education
Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little ... more Children are increasingly engaged in the research process as generators of knowledge, but little is known about the impacts on children's lives, especially in the longer term. As part of a study on children's mobility in Ghana, Malawi and South Africa, 70 child researchers received training to conduct peer research in their own communities. Evaluations at the time of the
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Papers by Simon Mariwah
•maximise yield quality and quantity from existing cashew trees
•use and sale of by-products, spacing between trees for food crops
•increase power of local farmers in negotiating prices
•community dialogue over land use
•investment, access to credit and education
•maximise yield quality and quantity from existing cashew trees
•use and sale of by-products, spacing between trees for food crops
•increase power of local farmers in negotiating prices
•community dialogue over land use
•investment, access to credit and education