UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES THE ROLE OF MICRO-CREDIT IN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF DISABLED PERSONS IN THE UPPER EAST REGION, GHANA BY , _ JOHN A WUMBILA (B.A IDS) UDS/MDS/0054/07 THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN AND GENERAL STUDIES, FACULTY OF INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, TAMALE, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES NOVEMBER, 2011 ~ . ABSTRACT Micro-credit has been acknowledged as a resourceful means of enhancing people economic activities and eliminating poverty among the poor. In Ghana, many organisations including those for disabled persons have adopted micro-credit as a strategy for enhancing empowerment. This study sought to explore, highlight and provide scientific information on the role of micro-credit in the economic empowerment of disabled persons using the Anglican and Community-Based Rehabilitation micro-credit programmes in the Bongo and Builsa Districts. A mixed-method approach was employed examining 140 disabled beneficiaries and 40 disabled non beneficiaries of the CBR micro-credit. The study used the borrowers (disabled micro-credit beneficiaries) recall of the “before-after” situation and also gauged the effects through disabled non-micro-credit beneficiaries’ perception on the effects of micro-credit on beneficiaries. This study found that micro-credit increased 84% of disabled entrepreneurs’ profit margins and income levels by 85% per annum. The study further ascertained that through micro credit 68.4% of disabled persons now have ‘bigger’ say in the use and management of their resources and 21.4% have gained better recognition and change in decision making position. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of micro-credit beneficiaries had repaid the credit received. Household decision-making is still mainly a prerogative of the male head of the family. Low levels of education, poor market access and lack of access to micro-credit from financial institutions are obstacles to disabled persons empowerment. It is recommended that organisations working for and of disabled persons should assist in creating linkages with other institutions for market access and also undertake advocacy 2.and lobbying to achieve inclusion of the disabled persons. ii 3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT During the process of writing my thesis, I received valuable support from several people. First of all I would like to acknowledge the support of my supervisor Dr.Yeboah, Richard W. Nartey. Without his patience and support, I would not have come this far. I treasured his supportive supervision and am extremely grateful. I am also very grateful to the graduate school of the University for Development studies for offering me the opportunity to study and obtain the master of philosophy degree in Development Studies. Sincerest thanks also goes to staff of the Anglican and Presbyterian CBR Programmes in the Bongo and Builsa Districts, David Aladago and Richard of Sandema for offering their time and effort which made my fieldwork possible. I thank Mr. Isaiah Agorinya of Navrongo Health Research Centre for the technical support in the data entry and analysis. Finally, am grateful to my wife for her encouragement that contributed to completing this work on schedule. I appreciate my colleagues of the school of graduate studies especially my study group for the cordial relations, and generosity in sharing of ideas throughout the period of study. iii DEDICATION To my Wife, Children and Family. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ...................................................................................................................................... .i Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgement ...........................................................................................................................iii Dedication ………………………………………………………………………………………....iv Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………….v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. .ix List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi List of Acronyms ...........................................................................................................................xii CHAPTER ONE …..……………………………………………………………………………...1 INTRODUCTION....……………………………………………………………………………...1 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY …………………………………………………………...1 1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM .......... ……………………………………………………………...10 1.3 Main Research Question ……..................................................................................................12 1.3.1 Specific Research Question .. .............................................................................................. 12 1.4 Main Objective ......................... ............................................................................................. .13 1.4. l Specific Research Objectives............................................................ ................................... 13 1.5 Justification.................................................................................... .......................................... .13 CHAPTER TWO .………………………………………………………………………………..15 v LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………………………………………………….............15 2.1 THEORICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK. ……………………………………..15 2.2 Disability - concept and classification ………………………………………………………..15 2.3 Disability Models ……………………………………………………………………………..17 2.4 Disability Situation ....................................................................................................... ……..18 2.4.1 Disability Situation in Ghana ……………………………………………………………….19 2.5 Human Rights Approaches and Disability ……………………………………………………19 2.5.1 Disability Rights …………………………………………………………………………….21 2.51.2 Rights Based Approach …………………………………………………………………….23 2.5.3 Human Rights and Empowerment …………………………………………………………..27 2.6 Definition and Concept of Empowerment ……………………………………………………28 2.7 Micro-Credit: Concept and Definition of Term ………………………………………………33 2.7.1 Micro-Credit Schemes .......................................................................................................... 34 2.8 Strategies for Economic Empowerment of Disabled Persons ...………………………………37 2.9 Micro-credit and Economic Empowerment …………………………………………………...39 2.9.1 Micro-credit and Economic empowerment of Disabled Persons…………………………….41 2.10 The Anglican Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme ...……………………………. 43 2.11 The Presbyterian Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme……………………………44 2.12 Anglican and Presbyterian CBR Micro-Credit Schemes…………………………………….46 CHAPTER THREE………………………………………………………………………..........49 STUDY AREA AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY………………………………………49 vi 3.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY AREAS …………………………………………………49 3 .1.1 Bongo and Builsa Districts…………………………………………………………………………....50 3.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ……………………………………………………………..56 3.3 Research Design……………………………………………………………………………….56 3 .4 Sampling Method and Sample Size …………………………………………………………..57 3.5 Data Collection Techniques …………………………………………………………………..59 3.6 Data Sources ………………………………………………………………………………….62 3. 7 Stages of Data Collection ……………………………………………………………………63 3.8 Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………63 CHAPTER FOUR…………………………………………………………………………………………..... 66 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ……………………………………………………………….. 66 4.1 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents..……………………………….67 4.2 Contribution of Micro-Credit to Incomes of Disabled Benefices………………………..87 4.3 Micro-Credit and Enhancement of Control over Income, Credit and Assets ………………. .98 4.4 Effect of Micro-Credit on Participation of the Disabled in Decision Making…………….. .108 4.5 Repayment of Micro-Credit by Beneficiaries ……………………………………………....112 4.6 Challenges of Micro-Credit in the Economic Empowerment of Disabled Persons…………117 4.7 Enhancing Micro-Credit Programmes for Disabled Persons ……………………………….118 CHAPTER FIVE ……………………………………………………………………………..120 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS …………………………….120 5. 1 Summary and Conclusion ………………………………………………………………….120 vii 5 .2 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………..124 References……………………………………………………………………………………….126 Appendix A questionnaire (Micro-credit beneficiaries) ………………………………………...142 Appendix B questionnaire (Non-beneficiaries) …………………………………………………159 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1 Domains of Empowerment...………………………………………………………………….31 2.2: Indicators of Empowerment on a Micro-Level………………………………………………32 3 .1 Populations of Bongo and Builsa Districts…………………………………………………...51 3 .2: Disability Rates of Bongo as at 2000………………………………………………………..52 3 .3: Circuits and number of Schools……………………………………………………………...54 3.4 Sample Size of Respondents ………………………………………………………………….59 4.1: Respondents Disability Classification ……………………………………………………….68 4.2: Religious Inclinations of Respondents ………………………………………………………69 4.3: Educational Levels of Respondents ………………………………………………………….71 4.4: Gender and Level of Education of Credit Beneficiary Respondents…………………………73 4.5: Disability Type and Level of Education……………………………………………………...75 4.6: Age and Marital Status of Credit Beneficiary Respondents………………………………….78 4.7: Type of Disability and Occupation………………………………………………………….. 81 4.8: Number of Relatives Beneficiaries live with…………………………………………………83