AFRICAN WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT : GHANA DAY CARE EVALUATION REPORT

This special contracted evaluation, time frame for which is not specified, is based on document review, site visits, and interviews with project personnel. The YWCA is implementing the subproject. Most planned outputs have been achieved. Two buildings were converted to day care centers in Bawalashie and Asokore. The buildings are small and in poor condition, causing some parents to prevent their children from attending, and need additional equipment. Despite these constraints, the village communities have widely supported the centers. A total of 159 children are being served by the two centers, against a target of 150-200. Six women attendants, aged 18 to 21, were trained in nutrition, hygiene, and child care. Although their rapport with the children was good, the turnover is high since many left to be married. Only one of their replacements was trained. Older women were trained as supervisors. Community health nurses from the Ministry of Health instructed village mothers in high protein diets and food preparation and storage, and developed a systematic program of check-ups and innoculations for day care children. Family planning services were not well-received. The Ministry of Agriculture"s Home Extension Unit provided the centers with sorghum and wheat, and Catholic Relief Services provided milk. Other problems included inadequate USAID funding, which forced YWCA to assume training and overhead costs; and drought, which prevented Bawalashie farmers from supplementing tuition costs and from providing food for lunches. It is recommended that: the project be extended and improved; YWCA"s request for more funding be approved; day care staff be comprised of women of different ages; current facilities be replaced or the existing space maximized through use of the surrounding area; and income-generating activities include handicrafts when drought precludes farming activities.