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29.07.2018 Opinion

A Neglected Rural Folk, A Higher Population Size

By Abdallah Gadafi
A Neglected Rural Folk, A Higher Population Size
29.07.2018 LISTEN

The regent of Diare, Abdulai Abukari Zooshiri, who doubles as the uncle of a friend, once told him and he relays: “observe people by telling them what no one else knows and see if you will ever hear it anywhere else".I hope to hear this elsewhere.

The media is a constructive tool, so I'm being made to believe. The media broadcast and relays information which governments cannot see from their position. It is the fourth realm of the estate. The media muck-rake the rubbish and stumps in society. It's no shielder of persons-politicians, businessmen and public figures.

I am sitting on the fence right now. Should I divulge the information at hand or keep it to myself? What impact would it effect on society?? Some happenings are worth letting out as far as it's ridiculing power would have a constructive grip on society. This is ethical according to my passion anyway.

I didn't spend approximately two months in that deprived community called kunkwa to become an "Anas Armeyaw Anas", I would rather I create my own personality, my birthmark Abdulai M. Gadafi Kpabya would be worth mentioning.

It is easy to find girls as early as the age 15 already backing kids they claim maternity to. I remember questioning a smart and beautiful girl of age 14, her thoughts on early marriage and teenage pregnancy. She already was a mother at that tender age.

Her response was "as far as it could enter", yes, I was perplexed as you are right now. "As far as what could enter", I asked. A girl as young as 15 years exposed to sex? Shouldn't she be in school?

She found pride in it, if not for anything but being a mother. It will be prudent to mention that, Early marriage is a norm in this community.

Beautiful and brilliant girls whose consent are not often sought are given out for marriage to boys who could hardly take care of themselves.

It isn't a myth that higher population growth is a norm in the rural areas of Ghana. I am a primary witness to this phenomenon. I have been able to wrap my head around the circumstances surrounding it.

One thing clear is, It is to exhibit once attainment of womanhood and a source of Economically active labour. A bigger household size means a bigger farm size.

Early marriages are sure tickets to an increase in population size. Population growth in the rural areas should be paid attention to if population control is gonna be effective in Ghana.

The fight is not in the urban areas where campaigns against population growth are always waged. The urban folk is already exposed to several methods of reducing population size. What about the rural folk?

This fight needs to be taken to the rural communities where both past and present governments have neglected. You would feel the plight of the rural person should you care to pay a visit. You would come to your senses that, Ghana isn't Accra, Kumasi and Tamale. Ghana is far beyond the supposed pictures of paradise the motion, sound and visual mediums are portraying. There is really some deprived taxpayers somewhere.

Extensive education campaigns geared towards bringing the rural folks to light should be incorporated. The government must make working in these rural communities attractive in order to absorb the economically active population into these communities to serve. There should be deliberate attempts to cut more cake too and for those who sacrifice to work in these rural communities.

One more thing, groundbreaking stories gathered and sent to our urban media stations should be published as sent. There is this problem of urban journalists doing meaningless editing to stories sent by rural journalists to be published. The report loses it's elasticity, authenticity and ridiculing effect before it is been published.

I am that man with the muck-rake in my possession. My line of journalism is to constructively mirror the ill in society and to suggest lasting solutions to it.

I hope my objective view of rural development would be appreciated by the concerned government, NGOs and philanthropists who deem this cause fit to deploy expertise and knowledge to help this aforementioned community should kindly do so.

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