Browsing by Author "Darkwa, E."
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Item Caregiver perceptions of children in their care and motivations for the care work in Ghana: Children of God or children of white men?(ELSEVIER, 2016) Darkwa, E.; Daniel, M.; Asumeng, M.A.The perceptions and motivations that workers have in their work and work environment are important determinants of the quality of work they do. For people who work in residential institutions where children who have lost the care of their parents receive care, these perceptions and motivations become a crucial part in determining the quality of services or care the children are given. This study set out to explore the perceptions and motivations of caregivers in the institutional context in Ghana. Adopting a qualitative, phenomenological approach, data were collected from 35 caregivers in two children's homes in Ghana through participant observations, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. It emerged that caregivers perceived the children in their care first as children of God and then as children of white men and were predominantly motivated by their religious convictions to keep doing ‘the work of God’. Other motivations included personal life situations and economic aspects of the job. Implications for the workers and children in this environment are discussed.Item Seed-Borne Fungi Associated with Diverse Rice Varieties Cultivated in the Western North Region of Ghana(International Journal of Microbiology, 2023) Ackaah, F.M.; Nyaku, S.T.; Darkwa, E.Rice is a major staple in the Ghanaian diet. However, its production is constrained by fungal diseases. A survey was conducted in 2018 in three selected districts in the Western North Region of Ghana using a structured questionnaire and face-to-face interaction with 230 farmers to assess their knowledge, perceptions of seed-borne fungal diseases, and management practices. Additionally, fungi associated with farmer’s seeds were isolated and identifed through the Agar and Blotter tests. Findings indicate that 72.7% of the farmers in the selected districts relied on their saved seeds for planting. Thirteen fungal genera were associated with the rice seed samples collected from the three districts. The Juaboso district had the majority (13) of seed-borne fungi. The seed samples were categorized into various forms of discolouration, and significant differences (P < 0.05) existed among the seed samples for this parameter. The AGRA rice, a farmer saved seed from Juaboso, had the highest level of seed discolouration (41.96%). Fungi identifed to be associated with the dark brown/ brown discolouration of rice seeds were Bipolaris spp., Fusarium spp., Macrophomina phaseolina and Aspergillus spp. Te only fungus associated with the yellow/pale yellow colour was Bipolaris spp. The fungi Bipolaris spp., Curvularia spp., and Botryodiplodia spp. were associated with the dark spot discolouration. Alternaria spp., and Aspergillusspp. were observed on the greyish white seed discolouration sample. Fungi are associated with rice cultivation and vary according to district and rice variety. A complex of pathogenic and saprophytic fungi therefore infects rice grains both in field and storage conditions.