An Examination of Participation and Communication in Planting for Food and Jobs in Gbefi Community in the Kpando Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

This study examines participation and communication in Planting for Food and Jobs in the Gbefi community in the Kpando Municipality. The study sought to examine the level and extent to which communication and community participation were used in the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme in Gbefi. The specific objectives were: to identify the communication channel used by PFJ during projects implementation in the Gbefi; to describe the implementation process of the PFJ initiative and to investigate the level and extent of community participation. The research design used by the study was descriptive, hence it involved qualitative processes in collecting data. Data was collected using in-depth interview and focus group discussions. The data were collected from two categories of people: the project participants (farmers) and the Head of Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) secretariat of the Kpando Municipal. There were three focus group discussions and an in-depth interview with an informant. The study revealed that there is a participatory structure, however, even though major stakeholders such as proven farmers, AEA and dealers in the farms' inputs were engaged at the preliminary stage, there is a gap between these groups and the farmers on the ground. On the communication channel, we gathered that the messages did not go down well with the farmers because of the media used. We found out that farmers receive messages better when they are relayed to them through interpersonal or group communication. This finding has impacted negatively on the implementation process and by extension the level and extent of participation in the PFJ programme at Gbefi. Arising from the difficulty of assessing the quality of participation, this study concludes that it is possible to have a frame of reference and guidelines for those involved in community development. Also, it is necessary to have multi-stakeholders engagement, which would include the farmers at the grassroots in the research process in order to link it more closely with the overall process of communication, participation and development.