Transcript Slide 1

Slums of Hope and Slums of Despair:
Mobility and Livelihoods in Nima, Accra
Samuel Agyei-Mensah (University of Ghana)
George Owusu (University of Ghana)
Ragnhild Lund (NTNU)
PAPER PRESENTED AT THE
INTERNATIONAL POPULATION GEOGRAPHIES CONFERENCE,
HONG KONG, 10-12 JULY 2007
OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION
2. LOCATION AND SOCIO- DEMOGRAPHIC
CHARACTERISTICS
3. ANALYTICAL APPROACH
4. ASSUMPTIONS
5. METHODOLOGY
6. STORIES OF DESPAIR
7. STORIES OF HOPE
8. CONCLUSIONS
INTRODUCTION
Urban slums are generally classified as one of the world’s
most life-threatening environments. They are also the most
visible manifestation of the urbanization of poverty, which is
one of the challenges of the Millennium
Development Goals.
It has been estimated that 72 percent of the urban population in
Sub-Saharan Africa lives in slums. This compares to 32 per cent
for the whole world. According to the Ghana Poverty Reduction
Strategy Report 2003 ,in 2001 about 4,993,000 people were
living in slums in Ghanaian cities.
The slum areas are very pronounced in major cities in Ghana
such as Accra and Kumasi.
While slums have generally been viewed in negative
terms, recent studies have given testimony to the
ingenuity of the people who live in such places.
Slums have also been viewed as homogenous and static,
and there is often a failure to compare the subtle
differences within slums.
The links between migration and livelihoods have not
been extensively examined, and this study does this by
focusing on Nima, the major slum community in Accra,
Ghana.
RESIDENTIAL MAP OF ACCRA SHOWING NIMA
Leg on Village
East Le gon Ext .
Kese ma n
ast
yE
ow a
/mot
a
e
r
A
u st.
y Ind
orwa
Mot
Leg on ( unive rsity Of G han a)
East Le gon /sh ia shie
Okpo i Gon no
Sou th Leg on
Bats ona a
Achim ota F orest
No rt h D zorw ulu
He dzole ma n
Ape nkw a
Na hfla dzor
Dzo rw ulu
Airp ort R e s. Area
Ablen kpe
Sou th Te san o
Kwa shie ma n
Abe ka
Alajo
Koto ba bi
Burm a C am p
Mam m ob i
Kwa shie ma n
No rt h T e shie
Kpe he
Da rku ma n
Anyw a
Nu ngu a
Te shie Nu ng ua Esta tes
Ro ma n R idg e
No rt h K ane shie
Mala m
No rt h
Accra N ew T o wn
Kan esh ie
No rh t Od oko r
Bub uas hie
Nima
Sou th Te shie
Kan da
Ca nto nm en ts
Te shie Ca m p
Koko mle mle
Sou th Odo kor
Aslym D o wn
Ne w Abo ssey O kai
Tr ad e Fa ir
Ring w ay Est
La
W est A bb osey
O kai
Mat ah eko
East R id ge
Ada br aka
W est R idg e
Da nso ma n E st.
Sab on
Z on go
Suku ra /r ussia
Sou th Ind utrail A ra ea
Sou th Lab ad i
Kor le L ag oon Are a
Larte bioko rs hie
Salt Pon ds
Korle-bu
Accra C en tr al
Korle- du dor
Ministr ies
Loca tion Ma p
Ne w Ma mp ro bi
Mpo ase
Jam es T o wn
Mam p ro bi
Old D an som an
Korle-go nno
Study Area
Ch or kor
Res idential ar eas of
AM A
Gbe gbe yig e
Loca tion
Ethnic Composition of Nima, 2000
Ethnicity
Akan
Nima (in %)
24.6
Ga Dangbe
Ewe
Guan
Gurma
11.8
16.3
6.9
6.8
Mole-Dagbani
Grusi
Mande
16.1
5.6
4.5
All other Tribes
Total
7.5
100.0
Source: Ghana Population and Housing Census-Ghana Statistical Service
Religious Affiliation of Population
Religious Affiliation
Catholic
Percent
10.5
Protestant
11.3
Pentecostal/Charismatic 16.7
Other Christians
4.2
Islam
Traditional
54.3
0.5
Other Religions
No Religion
0.4
1.9
Source: Ghana Population and Housing Census: Ghana Statistical Service
AGE SEX DISTRIBUTION-NIMA
95 and Over
90 - 94
85 - 89
80 - 84
75 - 79
70 - 74
65 - 69
60 - 64
55 - 59
50 - 54
45 - 49
40 - 44
35 - 39
30 - 34
25 - 29
20 - 24
15 - 19
10 - 14
5-9
1-4
Under 1
MALE
FEMALE
Population Growth and Density Characteristics of Nima
Year
1960
1970
1984
2000
Population
As % of Accra
Size
Pop.
29,797 7.67
52,270 8.20
52,906 5.46
69,044
Land Area
size (in
hectares)
No. of
people per
hectare
158.8
158.8
158.8
158.8
188.59
330.82
334.85
437.00
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Livelihoods frameworks imply identification
and analyses of
i. shocks and vulnerabilities,
ii. assets,
iii. structural mechanisms and
iv. outcomes.
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Livelihood systems research has been used by donors as
guidelines for planning and implementation and by
researchers as analytical frameworks. They have been
criticised for being static and instrumental and not
incorporating social change.
Very few studies have applied frameworks that integrate
migration/people’s mobility and livelihoods.
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
This paper makes use of the livelihoods framework in a
modified form. Major emphasis here is on access to and
control over assets and resources and to identify where
and how migration/mobility is linked to livelihoods
strategies and outcomes.
It is believed that such a perspective may provide new
insights into what constitutes urban poverty in the
postmodern era, and hence identify what constitutes the
‘new’ faces of poverty in the process.
An increasing growth of urban slums in Ghana, it is
believed, are intertwined with structural reforms such as
SAP, which is believed to have increased urbanisation.
ASSUMPTIONS
People in Nima pursue multiple livelihoods
strategies which are connected to migration:
●NIMA is a transitionary place for ruralurban/intra urban migration
●People in NIMA have close links with their home
places:
Migration takes place for a variety of reasons
Not all people in NIMA are poor:
NIMA is a viable community, which thrives on
external contacts and contributions from migrants
(socially and economically):
METHODOLOGY
In-depth interviews of key informants
Individual narratives/life histories from particularly
successful as well as vulnerable groups
(entrepreneurs, women, youth/children, elderly and
disabled)
Group discussions (traditional leaders, authorities,
CBOs)
Observations and interpretation of photos
Secondary information (census data)
Surveys?
STORIES OF DESPAIR
STORIES OF DESPAIR
Stories of Despair
STORIES OF HOPE
CONCLUSIONS
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
Great variations and complexity in livelihoods
High unemployment, poor environmental sanitation
A place with active presence of entrepreneurs engaged
in national and international trade
Nima reminds policy makers that while slums constitute
a crucial ingredient in the recent rapid urbanization of
Ghana, they reflect hope and efforts to escape poverty
by many urban Ghanaians.