Millennium village project and poverty reduction: a case study of Bonsaaso Cluster in the Amansie West District

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2013-08-12
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Abstract
The fear of African countries not achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and not escaping the shackles of poverty prompted the international community to fashion out the Millennium Villages Project (MVP). With a bottom- up approach, the Millennium Village Project led by Jeffery Sachs seeks to alleviate extreme poverty in villages throughout Africa. As a joint project by the Earth Institute of Colombia University, United Nations Development Program, governments and other committed stakeholders, the project provides affordable and science-based solutions to help people lift themselves out of poverty. Millennium village in Ghana is located at Bonsaaso in the Amansie West district in the Ashanti region. The project has been in operation since 2006 offering a bold, innovative model for helping the Bonsaaso cluster of communities lift themselves out of extreme poverty. This study seeks to assess the effect of the project on living conditions of the inhabitants of Bonsaaso cluster of communities. One hundred and sixty-seven (N-167) respondents and three MVP officials were interviewed. Responses were collated, analysed with the aid of SPSS and findings presented in tables and graphs. The study reveals that before the advent of the MVP, residents of Millennium Village Communities lacked basic needs like health centres, and potable drinking water which affected their health. The study also reveals that level of participation by residents in the MVP is very high. In order to ensure the sustainability of the project it is recommended that beneficiaries must be trained to take over the project and also more funding must be sought to ensure its smooth running.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Geography and Rural Development in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Philosophy degree in Geography and Rural Development.
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