ADRIAN KNIEL

Transcription

ADRIAN KNIEL

ADRIAN KNIEL
TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK
A HANDBOOK FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF MENTALLY
HANDICAPPED ADOLESCENTS IN GHANA
ADRIAN KNIEL
TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK
A HANDBOOK FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED ADOLESCENTS
IN GHANA
UNIVERSITY OF WINNEBA
DRUCKEREI
CONTENT
I. PREFACE ..........................................................................................5
1.1. A new concept of transition .....................................................5
1.2. Decent work as the goal of transition ......................................6
1.3. Gender roles and work in Ghana ..............................................7
1.4. A word of thanks .....................................................................8
II. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................9
2.1. Opportunities, abilities and interests .....................................10
2.2. A stepwise approach .............................................................11
III. THE PRESENT SITUATION OF SCHOOL LEAVERS .........................12
3.1. The situation of handicapped and non handicapped school
leavers is comparable .....................................................................14
3.2. Employment related Legislation and Disability ......................14
IV. THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION ....................................................17
4.1. School Learning .....................................................................17
4.2. Transition planning ................................................................19
4.3. How to analyze job opportunities ..........................................21
4.4. Vocational assessment ..........................................................23
4.5. Assessing vocational interest ................................................24
4.6. Assessing abilities .................................................................26
4.7. Job Analysis ...........................................................................31
4.8. Job matching .........................................................................33
V. AN ANALYSIS OF VOCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR MENTALLY
HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS ......................................................37
5.1. ANIMAL REARING ..................................................................40
5.1.1.
Animal manure maker ...................................................41
5.1.2.
Beekeeping assistant ....................................................43
5.1.3.
Feed attendant ..............................................................45
5.1.4.
Fisherman’s assistant ...................................................47
5.1.5.
Helper in grass cutter rearing .......................................49
5.1.6.
Herdsman’s helper ........................................................51
5.1.7.
Poultry feeder ...............................................................53
5.1.8.
Rabbit rearing helper ....................................................55
5.1.9.
Snail raising helper .......................................................58
5.1.10. Tilapia raising assistant ................................................60
5.2. CROP FARMING ..................................................................... 62
5.2.1.
Citrus orchard assistant ............................................... 63
5.2.2.
Cocoa farmer’s assistant .............................................. 65
5.2.3.
Cotton farming assistant .............................................. 67
5.2.4.
Flower garden helper ................................................... 69
5.2.5.
Garden eggs farming assistant ..................................... 71
5.2.6.
Mushroom farming helper ............................................ 74
5.2.7.
Okro farmer’s helper .................................................... 76
5.2.8.
Onion farming assistant ............................................... 78
5.2.9.
Pepper farming assistant ............................................. 81
5.2.10. Potato farming assistant .............................................. 84
5.2.11. Shallot farming assistant ............................................. 86
5.2.12. Tomato farmer’s assistant ............................................ 88
5.3. CRAFTS INVOLVING HEAVY PHYSICAL LABOUR .................... 92
5.3.1.
Blacksmith’s helper ...................................................... 93
5.3.2.
Block maker’s assistant ................................................ 95
5.3.3.
Chain saw operator’s assistant ..................................... 97
5.3.4.
Charcoal burner’s assistant .......................................... 99
5.3.5.
Firewood splitter’s assistant ...................................... 101
5.3.6.
Salt mining assistant .................................................. 103
5.3.7.
Vulcanizer’s assistant ................................................. 105
5.4. CRAFTS INVOLVING LIGHT PHYSICAL LABOUR ................... 107
5.4.1.
Batik maker’s assistant .............................................. 108
5.4.2.
Bead maker’s helper ................................................... 111
5.4.3.
Body pomade maker’s helper ..................................... 113
5.4.4.
Book binding assistant ............................................... 115
5.4.5.
Broom maker’s helper ................................................ 117
5.4.6.
Calabash maker’s helper ............................................ 119
5.4.7.
Carver’s helper ........................................................... 121
5.4.8.
Chew stick maker’s assistant ..................................... 123
5.4.9.
Door mat weaver’s helper .......................................... 125
5.4.10. Dressmaker’s helper .................................................. 127
5.4.11. Envelope maker’s helper ............................................ 129
5.4.12. Leather bag maker’s helper ........................................ 131
5.4.13. Mat weaver’s helper ................................................... 133
5.4.14. Paper flower maker’s helper ...................................... 135
5.4.15. Polythene bag maker’s helper .................................... 137
5.4.16. Pure water bag packer ............................................... 139
5.4.17. Rope maker’s assistant .............................................. 141
5.4.18. Shea butter extractor’s helper .................................... 144
5.4.19. Soap maker’s helper ................................................... 147
5.4.20. Thatch weaver’s helper .............................................. 149
5.4.21. Yarn spinning assistant .............................................. 151
5.5. FOOD PREPARATION AND PROCESSING ..............................153
5.5.1.
Bean cake preparation helper .....................................154
5.5.2.
Biscuit baker’s assistant .............................................157
5.5.3.
Blackberry drink seller’s assistant ..............................160
5.5.4.
Coconut flour preparation helper ................................162
5.5.5.
Coconut seller’s helper ...............................................164
5.5.6.
Corn dough preparation assistant ...............................166
5.5.7.
Corn mill assistant ......................................................169
5.5.8.
Fish descaler’s helper .................................................171
5.5.9.
Fish smoking assistant ................................................173
5.5.10. Groundnut paste maker’s helper .................................176
5.5.11. Groundnut chips ‘Kulikuli’ preparation helper .............179
5.5.12. Kenkey seller’s helper .................................................181
5.5.13. Local corn drinks preparation helper ..........................184
5.5.14. Palm oil preparation helper .........................................187
5.5.15. Palm wine tapper’s assistant ......................................190
5.5.16. Pito brewing assistant ................................................192
5.5.17. Plantain griller’s helper ...............................................194
5.5.18. Porridge making assistant ..........................................196
5.5.19. Soya bean kebab seller’s helper ..................................198
5.5.20. Tea seller’s helping hand ............................................201
5.6. SERVICES AND COMMERCE ..................................................203
5.6.1.
Bookman’s assistant ...................................................204
5.6.2.
Car washer’s assistant ................................................206
5.6.3.
Chop bar assistant ......................................................208
5.6.4.
Clothes washer’s assistant ..........................................210
5.6.5.
Cobbler’s helper ..........................................................212
5.6.6.
Cocoa bean dryer’s assistant ......................................214
5.6.7.
Female house helper ...................................................216
5.6.8.
Garden boy .................................................................219
5.6.9.
Hairdresser’s assistant ...............................................221
5.6.10. Houseboy ....................................................................224
5.6.11. Refuse collector’s helper .............................................226
5.6.12. Sales assistant ............................................................228
5.6.13. Second hand shoe seller’s helper ................................230
5.6.14. Ward assistant ............................................................232
VI. ORGANIZING TRANSITION AND SUPPORT ................................234
6.1. Transition Team ...................................................................234
6.2. Information needed .............................................................235
6.3. Results and discussion ........................................................236
VII. AN OUTLINE OF PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING ......................... 240
7.1. An analysis of basic vocational skills .................................. 240
7.2. Prerequisite skills in animal rearing .................................... 243
7.3. Prerequisite skills in crop farming ...................................... 244
7.4. Prerequisite skills in crafts: light or heavy physical labor ... 245
7.6. Prerequisite skills in food preparation and processing ........ 247
7.7. Prerequisite skills in services and commerce ...................... 248
7.8. The school curriculum and prerequisite skills for vocations 249
VIII. AN OUTLINE OF A PREVOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM ..... 251
8.1. Task skills common to all vocational areas ......................... 251
8.2. Criteria for selecting pre-vocational activities in the Ghanaian
setting ......................................................................................... 253
8.3. Time Frame ......................................................................... 257
8.4. School based vocational project phase ............................... 257
8.5. Job shadowing program ...................................................... 258
8.6. Onsite training program ...................................................... 258
IX. A FINAL WORD .......................................................................... 261
X. ANNEXE ...................................................................................... 262
10.1. WINNEBA VOCATIONAL READINESS SCALE (WVRS) ........... 262
10.2. WINNEBA SUPPORT NEEDS CHECKLIST .............................. 263
10.3. WINNEBA ACTIVITY LIST OF FAMILY MEMBERS (WALFM) .. 264
XI. REFERENCES ............................................................................. 266
PREFACE
________________________________________________________________________________________
I. PREFACE
Schools for the Mentally Retarded have been burdened with adult “pupils” for
many years. Since teachers of pupils with a mental handicap not only feel
responsible for their schooling but also for their future life, the tendency was
to keep these persons in a school setting as long as possible. This “solution” is
due to a misunderstanding of the process of transition from school to work and
a lack of confrontation with the realities of economic life and the social
organization of families and communities in Ghana.
The aim of some schools was to start production of food or other saleable
articles, ignoring the fact that none of the teachers were trained craftsmen or
had
much
business
experience.
Also,
the
prerequisites
for
successful
marketing, such as market analysis, advertising goods and services, favorable
location of the production site, etc. were often absent.
Other establishments guided by the traditional training and rehabilitation
approach aimed at teaching their wards a skill (usually batik, basket or
envelope making, farming etc.) with the goal of achieving such a level of
competence that they could survive economic competition after graduation.
High hopes were also placed in government laws and regulations that would
oblige employers in Ghana to hire mentally retarded persons for the few
salaried jobs available – though the majority of Ghanaians works in the
informal sector.
1.1.
A new concept of transition
This handbook attempts a radical departure from these strategies which have
failed in the past and attempts to outline a concept which takes into account
the realities of Ghanaian society.
This includes:
•
Focusing on the role of the family as the primary source of selfemployment in Ghanaian economy
•
Guiding the process of (individualized) transition from school to work in
describing the basic elements of each step in simple terms
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PREFACE
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•
Presenting informal tools for assessing work readiness and support
needs of adolescents with mental retardation in order to judge the
likelihood that they will be successful at a given job
•
Listing in detail a large number of vocational activities common to
Ghanaian economy that can be mastered to different degrees by
persons with mental retardation depending on their individual skill level
•
And finally describing what basic skills are the necessary foundations for
a large number of jobs and should be trained at the prevocational level
in school.
1.2.
Decent work as the goal of transition
The term “job” and “employment” will be used in this handbook in the sense of
productive activity which includes self-employment and family labor as jobs for
persons with disabilities. Presently, these will be found predominantly in the
informal sector which does not exclude hiring persons with intellectual
disabilities in the formal sector. For example, a hospital could hire such a
person as a ward cleaner; or a senior secondary school could hire someone for
gardening, maintenance work etc.
Thirty five years ago, in 1971, the UN General Assembly proclaimed a
Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons. The Declaration
affirmed that mentally retarded persons had the same rights as everyone else.
Specifically, they had a right to such education, training, rehabilitation and
guidance that would enable them to develop their ability and maximum
potential; a right to economic security and a decent standard of living; a right
to perform productive work or to engage in any other meaningful occupation
to the fullest possible extent of their capabilities.
This idea was taken up again in the Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities that were adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly on 20 December 1993. There are 22 rules, ranging
from awareness-raising to international cooperation. Employment is covered
by Rule 7: ‘States should recognize the principle that persons with disabilities
must be empowered to exercise their human rights, particularly in the field of
employment. In both rural and urban areas, they must have equal
opportunities for productive and gainful employment in the labor market.
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PREFACE
________________________________________________________________________________________
In recent years, the concept of “decent work” has been propagated by the
International Labor Organization (ILO). In the Decent Work Report of Mr. Juan
Somavia, ILO Director-General, at the 87th session of the International Labour
Conference (1999) he defined this term as follows: "Decent work means
productive work in which rights are protected, which generates an adequate
income, with adequate social protection. It also means sufficient work, in the
sense that all should have full access to income-earning opportunities. It
marks the high road to economic and social development, a road in which
employment,
income
and
social
protection
can
compromising workers' rights and social standards.”
be
achieved
without
1
Thus, the right to decent work has three right’s dimensions:
•
the right to work,
•
rights in work
•
and the right to adequate social protection.
The right to decent work is not confined to wage employment, but extends to
self-employment, home working and other income-generating activities. This
is why we have decided to call the benefits a person with a mental handicap
gets in the informal sector or a family business his “take home share”. The
fact that the person does not receive a steady wage and must be satisfied by a
share of the profits an economical activity applies to most family businesses
and activities in the informal sector. Very often this “take home share” is
limited to food, lodgings and some clothing from time to time. This does not
only apply to persons with an intellectual disability but seems a general
characteristic of work in the informal sector which dominates Ghana economy.
1.3.
Gender roles and work in Ghana
Many of the simple jobs described in this handbook are still gender bound.
Blacksmithing or being a butcher, a musician, a palm oil extractor or pito
brewer is customarily done either by men or women. Though most jobs will be
open to both sexes in the future, in this handbook we stick to realities at the
beginning of the millennium.
1
http://www.awid.org/go.php?pg=ilo
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PREFACE
________________________________________________________________________________________
In order to make reading less cumbersome I have also avoided the “politically
correct” option of writing him or her him or her and himself/herself at every
occasion where the designated person could be either female or male. Where a
job is customarily performed by women I have opted for “she” in the cases of
vocations usually taken by me I use “he”. I hope the reader will excuse this
procedure.
1.4.
A word of thanks
This handbook could not have been prepared without the help of three
generations of students of the Education of the Mentally Handicapped unit at
the Special Education Department of the University of Education, Winneba
(graduation years 2004, 2005 and 2006). Following guidelines, they analyzed
the tasks that comprise the helper jobs described in the chapter “An analysis
of vocational options for mentally handicapped school leavers”.
I would like to thank all of these students for their contribution and hope that
the handbook will be useful for practicing teachers of mentally handicapped
persons.
Christiane Kniel-Jurka, Sandy Weiler, Comfort Ahamenyo and Shadrack Majisi
read through and commented on the draft version of this handbook. I would
also like to thank them for their ideas and support.
The intention of this handbook can be summed up in two proverbs, one from
the African and one from the European tradition:
It takes a whole village to raise a child
an African thought which means that everyone in a community needs to
participate in the education of a child so that it fits into society. The Latin
proverb
Non scholae sed vitae discimus
tells us that we learn not for school but for life.
It is with these thoughts in mind that the handbook has been written
Winneba November 2006
8
Adrian Kniel
INTRODUCTION
________________________________________________________________________________________
II. INTRODUCTION
Every parent and teacher hopes for a bright future for the children entrusted
to them and worries about what type of work they can do to survive after
leaving school.
In Ghana the majority of school leavers - be they handicapped or non
handicapped - earn their living in the informal sector, which means that there
is no formal employment contract, no health benefits or social security
payments and their earnings fluctuate from day to day. The Ghana
Demographic and Health Survey 1998 (Ghana Statistical Service, 1999, 1923) shows for example that three quarters of all working women are selfemployed and that the majority earns cash. Others work seasonally or
occasionally. Those 10 percent of women who work for a relative in the
majority of cases do not receive cash for their work. Very often a young
person contributes with his work to the survival of the family as a unit but the
majority of income is contributed by the parents or other relatives.
According to recent estimates, 60% of the labor force is working in agriculture,
15% in industry, and 25% are occupied in services. We can expect a similar
distribution of work areas if we consider the transition from school to work for
adolescents with mental retardation.
In addition, as the unemployment rate in Ghana estimated for 2001 is
presently at 20% of the workforce, we can also assume that about one fifth of
all mentally handicapped persons of working age would not find a job.2
2
Information about youth unemployment and the informal sector in sub Saharan
Africa can be found in African Economic Outlook2004/2005, Chant & Jones
(2005), Economic Commission for Africa (2002), EFA Global Monitoring Report
2996), Fluitman 2001), United Nations Office for West Africa 2005), Xaba, Horn &
Motala (2002). The location of these documents in the internet can be found in
the References at the end of this handbook.
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INTRODUCTION
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2.1.
Opportunities, abilities and interests
In any country of the world, what a person does depends on three factors:
OPPORTUNITIES
INTERESTS
ABILITIES
In the case of Ghana opportunities depend to a large extent on the
individual’s situation.
•
Whether the person lives in an urban or rural environment. Obviously
farming is a more common occupation in a rural environment, whereas
services, manufacturing and trading dominate in an urban setting.
•
On the geographical location of the persons residence. Fishing and fish
smoking is more frequent on the coast, whereas herding cattle is more
likely to be a means of earning a living in the north.
•
And finally the financial means of the family are an important factor. If
the father owns a cocoa farm, the son can work in this occupation. If the
mother has the capital to start up a small shop, the daughter can sell
there, etc.
Interests are obviously influenced by experiences the person has made. A
person who grows up in a setting where small animals are raised will often
develop an interest for this activity but is very unlikely to have the desire to
become a fisherman. Usually young people tend to become interested in
activities in which they do well and where they are successful. One of the
goals of educating children with a mental disability is to offer them many
opportunities to increase the number of their interests, so that choice and self
determination will be possible when it is time to look for work.
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INTRODUCTION
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Abilities also determine the type of work a young person will eventually
perform. We have developed a scale that measures different competence
levels that are necessary for most simple jobs available in the Ghanaian
environment. The scale also includes physical strength and agility, motivation
and work behavior, orientation and travel and functional academics among
other skill areas.
2.2.
A stepwise approach
In this handbook we use a stepwise procedure to analyze the elements that
need to be considered and shaped in placing a person with a mental disability
on the job market. Our approach differs from the usual procedure, for example
in a National Vocational Training Institute or a Rehabilitation Centre where a
person is trained in an activity up to a certain level of competence and then
left to go out, to search for work or set up his own business. The basic idea of
this former strategy can be described as
TRAINING LEADS TO JOB
As we will show however, this has not been very successful with youths with a
mental handicap in Ghana as opportunities, interests and abilities have not
been sufficiently considered in the past.
The basic orientation of this handbook is therefore:
FIRST THE JOB THEN THE TRAINING
This means that when a future job activity has been selected under the
participation of all concerned parties (as a rule parents and the young person
him/herself), the gap between the skills the person has already acquired and
those still necessary for mastering the job at hand are directly trained on the
job site.
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INTRODUCTION
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III. THE PRESENT SITUATION OF SCHOOL LEAVERS
Before we look at specific studies in Ghana, it is important to view the
employment situation of persons with a disability in so-called developed
countries to avoid illusions. As Elwan (1997) reports in her review, the rate of
employment of persons with a disability in high income countries is about half
of those of non disabled persons of the same age group. In developing
countries such as Mauritius only 16% of persons with a disability are
economically active as compared to 53% of the total population; and, in
Botswana, the figures are 34% of the disabled as compared to 51% in the
general population (SIDA, 1995).
Just as there are no systematic follow-up studies of transition from school to
work for graduates of regular schools in Ghana, information about youngsters
with an intellectual disability are mostly anecdotal.
Hayford (2001) in a study of four Special Schools in Ghana found that in the
period between 1992 and 1996, only five adolescents changed over from
school to the world of work. In addition, none of these schools used formal
assessment procedures to select trainees for specific vocational programs, and
the numbers of options were extremely limited: basketry, farming, batik and
envelope making.
Even though Special Schools for the mentally handicapped have officially
existed in Ghana since 1968, a study by Kniel (1995) indicates these schools
were not able to supply data on the situation of their graduates. Schools were
not in contact with school leavers who, in the case of boarding schools, come
from all over the nation. This still applies to the present situation.
In a survey of all school leavers of schools for mentally handicapped children
in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo and Zaire graduates had left schools on the
average five and one half years previously and were in their early twenties
(Kniel, 1995). The large majority (83%) was still living with their parents, and
their vocational activities can be characterized as “helpers” or “assistants”. If
we combine male and female graduates
•
Most school leavers (35,5%) were helping at home
•
The second largest group was, in the opinion of their former teachers,
doing nothing at all
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INTRODUCTION
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•
Craftsmanship such as weaving, sewing or woodwork was the third most
frequent activity (10, 5%)
•
Service activities such as sweeping in a hospital, transporting goods on
a pushcart or peddling wares in front of the house were about as
frequent as crafts (10%).
This distribution of activities can only be understood if we consider that the
existing schools were all located in large towns (Abidjan, Lomé, Kinshasa and
Yaoundé) so that farming or animal raising was not an option. Unfortunately,
with very few exceptions (Congo, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo) in the nations of
Western and Central Africa, schools for mentally handicapped children are
limited to the capitals or do not exist at all.
Four fifths of the sample (79,5%) worked at home or with relatives and only a
minority (20,5%) worked away from home or with other persons than their
(extended) family members. About half of the former pupils of Special Schools
(51,5%) received no remuneration for their activities; about one third (32%)
occasional gifts; and less than one fifth (16,5%) received a part of the profit
or a salary. Even without exact data, it seems safe to assume that only a few
school leavers could support themselves independently just as this applies to a
large sector of graduates in the general population.
Except for general housekeeping training which seems to be useful, with such
a large number of mentally handicapped graduates helping at home, there is a
lack of fit between training at school and actual activity after leaving school.
Only 14% of those trained in farming and animal husbandry were later active
in this field, 32% were exercising the craft they had learned at school,
whereas 67% of those trained in housework were actually helping in the
home.
More graduates from poor homes were following some kind of activity as
compared to those from wealthier families and more girls were working than
boys. Good work habits and willingness to work, as observed by their former
teachers, correlated with actually working after leaving school.
This situation seems quite comparable to anecdotic evidence given by teachers
at the JSS level of their former pupils. Questioned on the present situation of
their former pupils students from three consecutive years of Special Education
Training in Winneba indicated
•
the majority were self employed with no steady income
•
average earnings were around 300 000 cedis a month
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INTRODUCTION
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•
with few exceptions these graduates in their early twenties still lived
with their parents and could not afford to marry
•
Many helped in the (extended) family activities.
3.1.
The situation of handicapped and non
handicapped school leavers is comparable
There seems to be a comparable situation between school leavers of regular
and special schools
•
the link between schools and the world of work in regular and special
settings is extremely weak
•
the family environment and setting in which the graduate will return
after graduation is not taken in account
The main difference between these schools is that teachers in regular schools
do not accept responsibility for the vocational future of their graduates. In
special schools however, there is a tendency to keep even adults in the hope
of eventually training them to a level of competence so that they can succeed
in working independently. This seems an illusion as, by definition, mental
retardation implies that although the person can attain a certain level of
independence; he will need lifelong support and guidance.
3.2.
Employment related Legislation and Disability
Very often it is assumed that employment opportunities for persons with a
disability can be enforced by national laws. As the International Labour
Organization (2004) outlines, legal frameworks include quota obligations,
employment equity and non- discriminations laws and laws on job retention.
Job retention laws require an employer to continue to hire an employee who
has acquired a disability while working for him. We can ignore these provisions
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INTRODUCTION
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as the mentally handicapped school leaver changing over to the world of work
has not been employed before.
In many European countries such as Germany, France and Italy quota
schemes oblige companies of a certain size to hire a percentage of
handicapped workers. Otherwise they have to pay a contribution into a central
fund for the use of vocational rehabilitation, sheltered workshops or
accessibility of the workplace.
Equity or non-discrimination laws require firms to offer equal employment
opportunities to persons with a disability and prohibit discrimination in
recruitment, promotion and other areas of employment. This model is applied
in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom among others.
In Ghana part II of the Legislative Instrument (L1632), Transfer Labour
Regulation 1969 specifies among other
•
the establishment of Disablement Employment Centres (DEC),
•
a National Council in to advise and assist the Minister in matters and
training of persons with a disability and
•
that a quota of posts in the public and private sectors (0,5% of the total
labour force) should be set aside for sedentary jobs.
None of these provisions have been applied.
The recently discussed but not yet approved “Persons with Disability Bill”
foresees
•
providing unemployed persons with a disability with training,
•
providing the person with the necessary tools or working materials
•
or assisting with the access to loan capital so the person can start a
business.
However the monitoring and implementation of a legal framework for persons
with a disability assumes that the government and the individual have the
necessary means and powers to enforce these laws and regulations. Presently
this does not seem to be the case in Ghana.
In addition, studies have shown (Mont, 2004) that even in developed nations
with a legal support system and enforcement of these regulations by the
judiciary system and monitoring agencies, employment rates of persons with a
disability are far higher than those of the general population.
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INTRODUCTION
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This is not to say that everyone interested in the welfare of school leavers with
a mental handicap should not lobby for legal provisions. But a legal framework
without implementation measures cannot be effective.
This is why in this handbook we concentrate on a short term strategy for
enabling the transition from school to work instead of counting on government
measures that will probably not be implemented in the near future.
16
THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION
________________________________________________________________________________________
IV. THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION
Thressiakutty, A.T. & Rao, L.G. (2001) have reviewed numerous transition
models in a publication of the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped,
India and have developed a transition model for persons with mental
retardation. This can be adapted to the Ghanaian situation in a simplified
form:
Phase of Transition
School learning
Transition Planning
Job Placement
4.1.
Elements of Transition
Pre-primary
Primary
Secondary
Pre-vocational
Job Identification
Vocational assessment
Job Analysis
Job Matching
On the job training
Identifying support
Monitoring and fade out of support
School Learning
In school children do not only learn specific academic skills but they are also
socialized in the norms and values of society. These behavioural dispositions
acquired in school allow the later integration into the world of work even of
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those children with a mental retardation who have not been successful in
functional academics.
The following table based on the ideas of a German psychologist Rudolf Oerter
illustrates some of the elements which school learning and the world of work
have in common:
School
Work
Learning a large number of contents Achieving tasks which are not
which do not seem to be related
necessarily related in the
understanding of the worker
Obligation to study subjects which may Obligation of achieving work, which
not be interesting for the pupil
may not be interesting or satisfying
for the worker
Tasks need to be achieved in a given Tasks need to be achieved in a
time frame
given time frame
Tasks are expected to be achieved in Tasks are expected to be achieved
good quality
in good quality
Pupil is expected to show interest for all Worker is expected to work with
subjects and learning materials
dedication at any type of task
In most cases pupils are not able to In most cases workers are not able
judge the fundamental reasons for the to judge the role his work plays in
content they are expected to learn
the economic structure of society
Praise by teachers parents and other Money food or other advantages as
students as reinforcement for learning reinforcement for work
in school
As we shall see in a later analysis, quite a number of specific elements taught
in school help acquire skills needed in vocational activities:
•
being able to communicate and respond adequately to questions and
conversation
•
following instructions
•
measuring equal distances
•
being able to distinguish clean from dirty, large from small, heavy from
light etc.
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In an Indian study of vocational skills of persons with an intellectual disability
Suresh & Santhanam (2002) distinguish between generic skills and vocational
skills and aptitudes.
By generic skills they mean general skills such as self-help skills,
communication, social behaviour, functional academics, safety skills, domestic
behaviour and motor skills.
Vocational skills and aptitudes describe abilities such as perception, motor
co-ordination, finger and manual dexterity, which relate more closely to the
specific job at hand.
In addition we distinguish work traits which refer to motivation, promptness
of task achievement etc. and which determine the employability of a person.
As a rule, the jobs which we will analyze in one of the following chapters do
not demand a high level of academic skills. In fact, as a rule no skills in
reading, writing or formal arithmetic are required. The majority of the non
handicapped people exercising these vocations are barely literate.
We will look at key skills that are necessary for the majority of simple
activities described in this handbook and present tools that will enable the
reader to judge if the young person with an intellectual disability is suitable for
the job at hand or what further training he would need.
4.2.
Transition planning
Job Identification includes surveying job opportunities available in the
environment in which the person lives as well as the persons (usually family
members) who are willing to have the person assist them in their occupation.
Vocational Assessment consists of identifying the interests of the trainee,
usually by observation as well as determining vocational readiness in different
skill areas which make it likely that he/she will succeed in a specific job.
Job analysis consists of listing the different tasks which make up the job in
sequence as precisely as possible. Here we distinguish core elements, which
are those most frequently performed (i.e. stacking of firewood) and episodic
elements which occur from time to time (i.e. bringing the wood to the
market).
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By comparing the skills needed for the specific job and the individual’s present
level of competence we can decide what elements must be trained (Job
Matching).
A detailed guide to these procedures by Heron (2005) can be found in the
internet.
Job Placement
Finally following the principle first the job, then the training, we need to
train the person to perform the tasks that make up the job sequence or
identify those elements which he can do efficiently.
Carving sculptures consists of multiple elements from selecting wood,
sharpening tools, designing the shape to be carved to finally polishing and
exhibiting the product. But there is no reason why one or several simple
elements such as storing the tools, keeping the workplace clean or sanding
and polishing the sculpture cannot be a full time job for a carver’s helper. This
means that in training we concentrate on those job elements which the person
can achieve with success. Some girls with a mental handicap can learn to sew
with a machine, some can learn to stitch evenly, and others can learn to sew
buttons depending on their individual skill level. This does not mean that each
one of these persons cannot become a helper to a seamstress depending on
the need for this type of assistance.
There is no formula to determine the number of weeks and the degree of
intensity with which a person must be trained as this depends on the
individual’s motivation and ability. However, by using our own observation and
common sense we can soon determine how much training and supervision will
be necessary.
It should again be stressed, that job training can only be achieved under
real conditions: There is no way a charcoal burner’s helper can be trained at
the site of a special school or that a special school can offer the wide range of
activities that exist as possible jobs for adolescents with a mental handicap.
Therefore, the task of the school is to practice certain basic skills in
prevocational training and follow the graduate into the community where
he/she is trained by those persons actually performing the job. Teachers can
only assist in this process by coaching and supervising when
20
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necessary, not by assuming the role of a craftsman or farmer
themselves.
4.3.
How to analyze job opportunities
If we are looking for potential jobs in the community in which the young
mentally retarded person lives, we can select a number of activities in taking
the following guidelines in consideration:
•
Look for simple jobs, where the same procedure is repeated without
great variation
•
Look for jobs where the risk of accidents and injury is low
•
Look for jobs with low time pressure
•
Look for jobs which can be performed in a group so that help and
supervision is possible
Obviously, the first source of employment would be a family business. In a
survey of parents of children at Echoing Hills in Accra for example, Sarbah &
Gidiglio (2003) found that the majority of mothers and aunties could imagine
having their handicapped children working alongside their jobs as very many
were petty traders or doing small crafts in the house.
But in approaching potential employers we can also think of the extended
family, aunties, uncles, brothers and sisters, cousins, grandparents etc. who
might need a helping hand and work in a field that appeals to the graduate
and fits his abilities.
In addition, there are church members and other person in the community
that can be approached because they need some assistance and are willing to
help their fellow man.
Certainly, if the parents are well connected, they can attempt to find jobs such
as messenger/ cleaner in the public sector (hospitals, schools, district councils)
if possible.
This handbook gives a wide variety of job activities which can stimulate your
ideas.
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A stepwise approach
Use a stepwise approach:
1. A list of all possible job options can be worked out with the parents in a
brainstorming session.
2. This list of possible jobs can be evaluated together by looking at the
young person’s abilities and interests to see, which options should really
be attempted.
3. Work out, who is going to approach which potential employer3.
4. Decide when to meet again to report on results.
Approaching potential employers
In approaching potential employers, even if they are relatives of the person
concerned, we cannot always count on an enthusiastic reception.
Therefore we should use the following approach:
1. Contact the potential employer in a friendly and positive manner.
2. Choose a convenient time for the visit or offer to come back again if the
time chosen is not practical.
3. Talk about what the person in question can do and not what he cannot
do.
4. Give examples of positive job performance of other workers with mental
retardation.
5. Underline that very often mentally handicapped persons enjoy simple
repetitive tasks and are eager to work if they are treated well.
6. Remember, in talking to a potential employer or relative willing to work
with the graduate it is your job to listen and understand the problems
that this person might anticipate and not to preach or argue with
him.
7. You are not there to expound the righteous sermon of brotherly love for
the mentally retarded but to understand and analyze what obstacles
the potential employers or family member sees in working with the
young mentally handicapped person. These doubts must be overcome
The employer will in the majority of cases be a relative sharing his work and some of the
profits with his mentally handicapped helper
3
22
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by your input and active assistance, not by sermonizing or giving verbal
advice. Talk is cheap; it is direct help from you that the potential
employer or family member expects.
8. It is also possible that some member of the family perhaps an elder
brother or sister or the mother would like to start a small business,
where the person with a mental disability could be of help. The National
Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) has an Entrepreneurship
Development Programme (EDP) which trains persons in starting and
running a successful business and has regional secretariats in all
regional capitals throughout Ghana as well advisors in some district
capitals.
9. You should therefore be familiar with the location of advisory services, of
micro credit schemes and of NGOs active in your area in order to help
the family or potential employers.
4.4.
Vocational assessment
Vocational assessment consists of analyzing the vocational interests of a
young person with an intellectual disability as well as testing those abilities
that make it likely that he will succeed at a specific task.
The goal of assessment is making an informed decision as to whether the
young person has the prerequisite skills to handle a specific job and if his
personality and interests are suitable so that he will be willing to work at this
specific task.
Work is a very important part of our life and we spend most of the time we are
awake working. A job can be a source of accomplishment and pride and have
an enormous effect on our overall life satisfaction, or it can be a cause for
frustration and dissatisfaction. That is why it is so important to spend some
time in analyzing what type of work is available (i.e. opportunities), and could
be done by the young person, as well as to include the graduate in the
decision making process. Not the teacher or the school decides the
vocational future of the graduate but the young person and his
parents or tutors.
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4.5.
Assessing vocational interest
Most formal tools for assessing vocational interests are paper and pencil tests
which look at general interests and compare choices of activities and work that
matches this interest (e.g. the Strong Interest Inventory4).
However, these assessment tools demand reading and writing skills that the
vast majority of students with a mental handicap do not possess. They have
been developed for industrialized society so their use is questionable in Ghana.
Even the Reading Free Vocational Interest Inventory (R-FVII)5 which is
designed specifically for persons with mental retardation or learning difficulties
and uses pictures in order to assess interest for different service areas cannot
be used in our context because of different vocational activities in American
and Ghanaian society.
Therefore until such tools have been developed, parents, teachers and the
graduates themselves will need to base their decisions as to interest in
vocational activities on observation and informal questioning.
Three simple methods
There are three simple methods of finding out the vocational interests of a
young school leaver. These are:
•
Asking the young mentally handicapped person himself in a formal
interview or informal conversation
•
Questioning the parents, teachers and other individuals familiar with the
person
•
Observing if the person shows enthusiasm and satisfaction as he
performs different prevocational activities
Very often by observing the young person in the school context, talking to him
about his preferences and interviewing individuals close to him, we can easily
decide, if the student:
4
http://www.careers-by-design.com/strong_interest_inventory.htm
5
http://www.psychcorp.com/catalogs/paipc/psy132dpri.htm
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•
prefers activities in the classroom to those out on the grounds
•
likes gross motor physical activities as compared to fine motor activities
while sitting down
•
prefers to work alone or in a group
•
likes being around animals or prefers working the soil
•
can tolerate dirty work and noise or would prefer a quiet indoor
environment
Unfortunately, in Ghana education often seems to mean staying in a school
building. However, especially for the prevocational classes getting to know a
large number of vocational activities is very important for developing career
interests.
Visiting a cobbler at the work site, seeing how a food seller prepares her meals
and accompanying a cattle herdsman for a day or two can be more
educational than sitting in a classroom looking at a blackboard.
The syllabus of prevocational training should include a large number of such
educational visits.
Very often in informal conversation young mentally handicapped pupils will
express interest in jobs that are very probably “out of their reach”, such as
becoming a bus driver or repairing televisions and cassette decks. We should
not make fun of them and ridicule them for misjudging their abilities but take
their wish seriously.
An older boy in a unit for mentally handicapped children was very interested in
and friendly with craftsmen in an electronics workshop near his family house.
He expressed a strong desire to work as a TV and radio repairman. Since the
fine motor and cognitive skills involved in this work were considered too
complex for his abilities, the mother and the school looked for a solution that
would reconcile his interest and abilities. As there were people in the house
that could always be called on to help, the young man was installed in front of
the house to sell DVDs and play cassettes to people passing by which he did
with great enthusiasm and some success.
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4.6.
Assessing abilities
In our stepwise approach, an analysis of abilities of the young person with a
mental handicap is intended to analyze prerequisite skills that make it likely
that the person will succeed in the job that he and his family have selected.
It can only be underlined again that many simple jobs in which mentally
retarded school leavers can work as assistants or helpers do not demand very
high prerequisite skill levels, especially if the person is not expected to
perform the entire task involved from beginning to end. This means, for
example, in helping with making pottery the activities of the helper can be
limited to preparing the clay or firing the kiln, so that dexterity at shaping pots
is not essential. Just as many jobs do not demand a great deal of physical
strength, in others language skills or a pleasing appearance or reading skills
are not essential.
Our Winneba Vocational Readiness Scale (WVRS) which is printed in the
annexe can be used to determine whether a mentally handicapped individual
has those necessary skills which make it likely that he can work in a certain
occupation. This scale permits a judgement if the person possesses the
necessary prerequisite skills that make it probable that he will succeed in
effectively training for a certain job
Each of the eight dimensions (social competence, safety awareness, self care
skills,
orientation
and
travel,
functional
academics,
social
behaviour,
motivation and work behaviour, physical strength and agility) may be of
different importance for different occupations. For example, skills concerning
orientation in the community and travel competencies are important for
someone moving around and collecting rubbish whereas functional academic
skills are irrelevant for this job. On the other hand, a person working as a shop
assistant would in some cases need certain functional academic skills such as
reading product labels or making change whereas travel competencies would
usually not be important.
Therefore observing the level of competence in the eight skill areas of
prerequisite skills at the school level can give valuable information as to the
selection of possible occupations for school leavers.
To make this point more clear let us compare profiles in the Winneba
Vocational Readiness Scale (WVRS ) that would make it likely that a
person could successfully be trained to work effectively as a tomato grower’s
helper; whereas successful training as a chop bar cleaner would be quite
26
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difficult because the prerequisite skills are mostly missing. In the following
table, the minimum competencies have been listed according to the Winneba
Vocational Readiness Scale. Even though a higher level of competence may
be desirable and would make collaboration with the helper who is mentally
handicapped easier, this readiness level would be sufficient to perform the job
at hand, if specific training on the job is added.
Please compare the total scores in the different skill areas to get an idea of
how these can be used to judge whether a person has the necessary
prerequisite skills to be likely to accomplish certain jobs6.
6
Of course some of the scores deemed necessary for certain skills are somewhat arbitrary.
we have tried to define the minimum level of competence that would be required as a
starting point for on the job training
27
Tomato grower’s helper
Duties
Social
Interaction
Chop Bar Assistant
Clearing of the land
Selling of drinking water to customers,
Planting of Tomato seedlings
Collecting of the plates after customers finish eating
Weeding
Cleaning of the tables
Supporting plants with sticks
Sweeping of the room
Communication:
Makes himself understood only by gestures (1)
Communication:
Makes himself understood easily and to everybody (4)
Greeting:
Recognizes familiar persons (2)
Greeting:
Greets politely and spontaneously (4)
Offers Help or Assistance:
Does not offer to assist (1)
Offers Help or Assistance:
Assists when prompted (3)
Social Behaviour:
Is distinctly unsociable (1)
Social Behaviour:
Shows age and culturally appropriate behaviour towards
peers as well as strangers (4)
TOTAL: 5
TOTAL:15
Self Care
Skills
Toileting:
Has an occasional “Accident “ (2)
Toileting:
Has effective control of toilet needs (4)
Personal Hygiene:
Needs some assistance (2)
Personal Hygiene:
Can wash independently in any familiar environment (3)
Eating:
Needs to be served but can eat in a group (3)
Eating:
Can serve himself and eat in a group (4)
Grooming:
Needs assistance for clean dress, hair and finger nails (1)
Grooming:
Can groom himself independently but forgets some
aspects(3)
TOTAL:8
TOTAL:14
Safety
Awareness
Use of sharp objects:
Can use sharp objects under very close supervision (2)
Use of sharp objects:
Can use sharp objects under loose supervision (3)
Electrical Hazards:
Cannot use switches and electrical appliances (1)
Electrical Hazards:
Can operate switches and electrical appliances safely under
loose supervision (3)
Fire Hazards:
28
Cannot light or use a fire but is aware of its danger (2)
Threats by Animals
(Scorpions, Snakes): Runs away and informs others of
danger (4)
Orientation
and Travel
TOTAL:11
Orientation in the community:
Walks independently in the community (4)
Orientation in the community:
Remembers routes in the neighbourhood when sufficiently
trained (3)
Public Transport:
Needs help in ticket purchasing and where to get off (2)
Traffic Hazard:
Can use certain busy roads after intensive training (3)
TOTAL:13
Directions and Sign Boards:
Can follow one-component directions (2)
Public Transport:
Needs help in ticket purchasing and where to get off (2)
Traffic Hazard:
Can use certain busy roads after intensive training (3)
TOTAL:10
Reading & Writing:
Cannot read or write (1)
Reading& Writing:
Cannot read or write (1)
Measurement:
Can measure with a string or measuring bowl (3)
Measurement:
Can distinguish larger or smaller (2)
Money skills:
Does not know the value of coins or bills (1)
Money skills:
Can give correct change for a sum of up to 5000 c (4)
Number skills:
Can count objects up to ten (2)
Number skills:
Can add / subtract two digit numbers and has concepts of
them (3)
TOTAL:7
Task
Behaviour
Threats by Animals
(Scorpions, Snakes): Stands and shouts for help (2)
TOTAL:9
Directions and Sign Boards:
Can follow difficult directions (4)
Functional
Academics
Fire Hazards:
Can light and use a fire under supervision (3)
Group functioning:
Can work together in small groups of up to 5 persons under
close supervision (2)
Responsibility:
Is careful with equipment given to him under close
TOTAL:10
Group functioning:
Can function in small groups under loose supervision (3)
Responsibility:
29
supervision (3)
Reaction to Instruction:
Follows instructions for one step at a time (3)
Tolerance of criticism:
Accepts criticism and tries to correct (3)
TOTAL: 11
Motivations
and Work
Behaviour
Physical
Strength
and Agility
30
Is careful with equipment given to him under close
supervision (3)
Reaction to Instruction:
Follows instructions of several steps at a time (4)
Tolerance of criticism:
Accepts criticism and corrects as needed (4)
TOTAL:14
Perseverance:
Can carry out a work activity for 15 minutes without
stoppages (3)
Perseverance:
Can carry out a work activity for 15 minutes without
stoppages (3)
Willingness:
Is willing to take up only familiar assignments (3)
Willingness:
Is willing to take up only familiar assignments (3)
Punctuality:
Is punctual only 50% of the time (2)
Punctuality:
Is punctual for almost all of the time (3)
Remaining in workplace:
Occasionally leaves workplace without permission (2)
Remaining in workplace:
Leaves workplace only with permission (3)
TOTAL: 10
TOTAL:12
Lifting and Carrying:
Can lift and carry weight up to 15 kg (3)
Lifting and Carrying:
Can lift and carry small weights up to 5 kg (2)
Walking and Running:
Can walk for more than an hour without resting (4)
Walking and Running :
Can walk steadily for 10 minutes (2)
Holding and Grasping:
Can grasp and hold objects firmly of any site or weight (4)
Holding and Grasping:
Can grasp and hold objects firmly of any site or weight (4)
Bending and Balancing:
Can bend down (for example for sweeping or weeding) for at
least 10 minutes (2)
Bending and Balancing:
Can bend down (for example for sweeping or weeding) for at
least 10 minutes (2)
TOTAL:13
TOTAL:10
________________________________________________________________________________________
The table illustrates clearly that level of competence for a tomato grower’s
helper need to be slightly higher in the areas of physical strength and agility
as well as in orientation and travel skills as he perhaps has to move around to
tend to different fields. On the other hand, a chop bar assistant needs a
pleasing appearance (self care skills), positive social interaction and good task
behavior in order to be accepted by the customers. Safety awareness,
functional academics and motivation and work behavior have almost the same
necessary skill level for both types of jobs, even though it is evident that the
hazards for chop bar assistant would consist of dealing with electrical
appliances and cooking fires. A tomato grower’s helper would need to instead
react safely to bush fires and dangerous animals such as snakes and
scorpions.
However it also becomes clear that, given the necessary supervision and
training, most graduates of a school for mentally retarded children would be
capable of performing the necessary skills in both jobs.
However, if some of the core prerequisite skills for a certain occupation have
not been acquired during the whole period of schooling due to physical or
other limitations despite intensive training, then this is an indication that the
abilities of the graduate are not sufficient for this job.
4.7.
Job Analysis
A breakdown of all the tasks involved in a job (Task Analysis) serves as a
guideline for the necessary steps in the job training of the person with an
intellectual disability. All the components of the job need to be described as
precisely as possible to develop a training plan and a checklist to find out
which elements of the job have been mastered.
Task analysis goes back to the nineteen twenties when assembly lines were
being installed for manufacturing and time motion studies were used to
determine the quickest and least wasteful way of performing certain tasks.
Following Thressiakutty & Rao (2001, 67) we can distinguish four useful
elements for analyzing a work sequence:
•
core work routines
•
episodic work routines
•
work behaviors
•
and work related skills
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Core work routines are those that occur very frequently or daily in a job. For
example, fowls must be fed every day and given drinking water and also the
chicken coops must be cleaned every day to avoid contagious disease. The
goal of task analysis is to arrange these recurring tasks into simple sequential
steps that can be trained until the person has mastered them.
Episodic work routines are those tasks that occur more seldom in a job,
such as once a week. For example, carrying feed sacks to a storage shed on a
chicken farm will only be necessary when new grain for feeding has been
bought. Catching and preparing chickens for inoculations will only be
necessary on the day when the veterinarian is expected.
Work behaviors are those “soft skills” expected from a worker such as
punctuality, getting along with co-workers, being able to stand time pressure,
etc. In many cases, feedback from the job trainer will be necessary to make
the trainee with a mental disability aware of these expectations.
Work related skills are skills associated with successful performance but not
directly linked to the job itself. For example, someone working in agriculture
must be able to find his way to the outlying fields where yams are being
planted (orientation and mobility skills), must be capable of identifying labels
that signal “Poison” when spraying plants (functional academics) etc.
Some work behaviors and work related skills have been identified and are
included in the Winneba Vocational Readiness Scale. They will be underlined in
our Task Analysis of different jobs available for persons with a mental
retardation in the Ghanaian context.
How to develop a job analysis
The different elements making up a job can be observed and analyzed by
watching other persons perform the core and episodic activities.
You can ask someone to directly instruct you in performing all elements of the
job.
Then perform these activities yourself. Look at how well you have done and
ask someone who customarily does this activity to criticize your work. Let the
32
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person point out to you which elements are correct and which activities could
be improved. Do not assume you know it all before trying to do the job
yourself.
On this basis, develop a task analysis by writing down the sequence of
activities that follow one upon the other.
This handbook contains a large number of jobs accessible to adolescents with
a mental handicap who will leave school. They have been put in alphabetical
order and can also be sorted as to activity areas. All these jobs have been
analyzed as to their sequence of tasks. Some hints are given as to the
prerequisite skills that would make it very probable that a school leaver could
be trained for this job following the results in the Winneba Vocational
Readiness Scale.
In the following chapter these task analyses will be listed so that the reader
can choose professions which will be suited for an individual school leaver after
having looked at
•
the job opportunities that are available in the environment in which the
person lives
•
the young school leaver’s interests and abilities
•
and having discussed these options with the adolescent and his parents.
4.8.
Job matching
As we have already mentioned, job matching consists of comparing the skills
needed for performing the selected job and the skills which the person has
already acquired in order to decide what must be trained so that a high level
of performance can be achieved.
To give an example: most adolescents with a mental handicap have learned
how to sweep a room or wash their clothing by hand. However, in some cases
they fail to notice areas of the floor that are still dirty or cannot judge the
amount of soap that must be used for the amount of washing and water given.
These steps must be patiently demonstrated and repeated until the person has
mastered these steps.
Two issues are important to keep in mind:
•
The person who is doing the training on site (we will call him the job
coach) will usually be a co-worker and family member. The job coach
must be well selected and trained. The person must be patient and
33
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willing to take the time to show each step as often as necessary. In
addition he must be able to give feedback without becoming abusive or
overly critical. Otherwise the young school leaver will not learn.
•
Not all elements of the job must be mastered for the young
mentally handicapped person to be useful. There is no reason why
the person should not concentrate on a few simple elements, such as
hoeing, weeding and watering. Preparing the mixture and spraying the
plants would be done by another person. This type of division of labor is
very common in settings where persons considered “normal” often work.
A 15 year old girl enrolled in a unit for mentally handicapped children in a
regular school was quite competent in assisting her mother in preparing fried
plantains and “red red”. The mother sold the prepared food to customers
mostly at noon. The girl was able to peel the plantains, wash the dishes, run
errands such as buying beans and firewood and call the mother if customers
arrived. However, even though many efforts had been made to help the girl
distinguish different kinds of coins and bills in order to make change, she was
not able to learn these skills. Since the parents unrealistically expected the girl
to master all the necessary tasks for selling prepared food, the mother broke
off the vocational training and sent the girl back to school and could not be
convinced that her expectations were not matched to the adolescent’s abilities.
Vocational activities
Vocational activities can be classified in different ways either as an
alphabetical listing or grouped as to activity areas such as:
•
Animal rearing
•
Crop farming
•
Food and drink preparation
•
Crafts and manufacturing
•
Services and commerce
As we will later see, most of the activities that belong to a common vocational
field are based on similar skills, which can be analyzed and used as a basis for
prevocational training. We will discuss this point in a later chapter.
34
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The list of vocational activities - which is by no means exhaustive - is
structured as follows:
•
Job title and brief description of duties
•
Main activities
•
Analysis of prerequisite skills that make it likely that a person can be
successful at this job
•
Description of main task areas
•
Take home share (expected earnings)
•
Necessary equipment and investments for working in this job
•
Risks involved and safety measures
•
Gender factors and seasonality of work
These brief descriptions of job activities for mentally handicapped youths will
enable the reader to select certain areas which could be a future way of
earning a living for a specific young school leaver if the following conditions
are given:
•
Opportunity, i.e., this is a job activity that is common in the region,
and a family member is working in this field and willing to let the young
person help on the job
•
Interest, i.e., the school leaver has demonstrated interest in this or
similar areas of work in school or at home
•
Ability, i.e., the pupil has the necessary prerequisite skills such as
physical strength and ability or communication skills that make it likely
that he will be able to master the tasks that make up the job.
Again let it be understood that not all elements of the job must be
mastered in order that a person can work in this field, but a minimal
competence must be achieved in order for a mentally handicapped youth to
become active in a certain job area.
All these job descriptions are based on an analysis of different vocational areas
by students of Education of the Mentally Handicapped at the University of
Education in Winneba in the years 2003 to 2006 7 and, of course; do not cover
all possible activities. In addition, some elements may be erroneous as
teachers and the author are not professionals in these job areas.
7
Without naming each individual student I would like to thank them for their work which
was achieved as an assignment in the course „Vocational Training and Transition“.
35
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The reader is therefore encouraged to add new job activities which are within
the reach of mentally handicapped youths to this collection, as well as revise
and correct some of the job descriptions where it is necessary.
The job catalog is meant to serve as a stimulus to generate ideas about what a
young person could do to earn a living and not as a definite list of jobs for the
mentally handicapped. In fact, as the reader will observe, the majority of
these simple activities are performed by average Ghanaian citizens and are by
no means unique to persons with a mental handicap.
It would make no sense at all to focus prevocational training in special schools
on a selection of these activities as they can only be learned in the field and by
actually performing the duties involved. However, as we shall see in a later
chapter some common elements of most job activities can be trained in school
by a careful selection and monitoring of prevocational projects.
36
AN ANALYSIS OF VOCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS
________________________________________________________________________________________
V. AN ANALYSIS OF VOCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR
MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SCHOOL LEAVERS
As has already been explained in detail, vocational choice for mentally
handicapped school leavers needs to take in account:
•
the interests of the person leaving school
•
the abilities he has shown during the school years
•
as well as the job opportunities that exist among members of the
extended family and the community in which he lives or where he
will return.
The following selection of job activities can serve as a guide as to what
common vocational activities are accessible to mentally handicapped school
leavers if they have the necessary prerequisite skills and are trained on the
job.
As was explained before, vocational activities have been selected, if
•
the tasks are simple and repetitive
•
the risk of accidents and injury is low
•
there is low time pressure involved
•
they can be performed in a group so that help and supervision are
possible.
In addition, since the majority of parents of mentally handicapped children are
not affluent, we have also made an effort to give information as to the
necessary investments and tools important for working in this job and
estimated possible earnings, so that parents could decide if they have the
means to set up their child in this type of work. Also some information is given
as to risk of injury and possible safety measures.
As we are looking at vocational activities in the informal sector where the
majority of young Ghanaians find work, we have divided these jobs into
groups according to the areas the different jobs focus on.
The following areas have been selected:
•
Farming (animal rearing and crop farming)
•
Crafts (involving heavy or light physical labor)
•
Food preparation and processing
•
Services and Commerce
37
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Information is also given as to the customary performance of certain jobs by
males or females and if the job can be performed all year round or is limited to
certain seasons. It goes without saying that the majority of the jobs presented
in this handbook is not restricted to a single sex and contain information about
work that is regular and maintained throughout the year.
The main tasks of these activities have been analyzed in order to help parents
and teachers decide, if the school leaver has the necessary skills that make it
likely that he or she can master this vocation.
Again we need to underline, that not all tasks that make up a helper’s role
need to be mastered in order to work in a certain vocation: certain
selected tasks can be performed by the mentally handicapped school leaver in
order to make a valuable contribution to the family income.
38
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FARMING
About 60% of the work force in Ghana is involved in farming, which includes
growing vegetables or raising animals. In addition, many families in Ghana
may raise goats and chicken or plant vegetables or maize in order to
supplement their diet. In our job analysis we will concentrate on the most
common types of food production without attempting to provide an exhaustive
list.
Since farming is usually a family enterprise and depends on the amount of
arable land, the investment in seeds and livestock etc. no exact statement
about expected income can be given. Again we would like to underscore that
in most cases the helper is likely to get a “take home share” and not regular
wages or a steady income. The amount earned can be quite low just as a large
percentage of the Ghanaian population is forced to exist on less than one US $
a day.
ANIMAL FARMING
Snail raising helper
CROP FARMING
Nursery bed helper
39
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5.1.
ANIMAL REARING
In Ghana, we find a wide range of activities related to animal rearing. Work in
this area can include being a feeding attendant on a poultry farm raising
hundreds of chickens or attending to large herds of cattle, as well as to caring
for a small number of chicken or goats for home consumption.
Even though many activities in rearing different types of animals are similar
in nature we have included them in order to show what a wide variety of
possible jobs in this field exist for persons with a mental handicap.
SNAIL RAISING HELPER
40
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5.1.1.
Animal manure maker
Prepares fertilizer which needs little cash input. He collects manure and
prepares it for decomposing in four to six months by adding plant waste and
water.
Main activities
•
collecting animal manure
•
storing the manure
•
preparing the manure
Prerequisite skills
An
animal
manure
maker
needs
only
limited
social
skills
(ex.
can
communicate by gestures) but needs to be willing to assist and accept some
criticism. The person needs only a very limited self-care skill as the job itself
is not clean. However, the person needs to be able to wash carefully after
work. The only safety hazards could be encountering wild animals or snakes.
Orientation and travel skills are important as he needs to roam about
searching for manure. Functional academics are of no importance. However,
responsibility, motivation and work behavior must be given and a certain
degree of physical strength and agility is needed.
Main task areas
Collecting animal manure
•
distinguishes between animal manure and other waste matter
•
mixes manure of different species if possible
•
uses shovel or scraper to put it into a bucket
•
puts leaves on top, when the bucket is full
•
carries the manure to a storage place
Storing the manure
•
locates site on a solid surface
•
digs a shallow pit
•
provides shade either under a tree or by providing a roof
41
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Preparing the manure
•
adds leaves and grass and mixes it with the animal manure
•
stirs the manure heap to let air in
•
waters lightly to speed up decomposition process
•
checks the heat and moisture level by placing a stick in the middle
Necessary tools and investments
Bucket, gloves, shovel or scraper. The total investment amounts to less than
50 000 Cedis at present prices.
Take home share
Manure is usually not sold but used for own farming, so no figures can be
given.
Risk of injury
Low, but animal manure can be a health risk if the manure contains diseased
organisms or is allowed to contaminate ground or surface water resources.
Safety measures
During collection, transport and application, the helper should avoid direct
contact and inhalation of manure by wearing gloves as well as mouth and
nose protection (wet rag) and wash carefully after work
The manure heap should not be stored close to water sources to avoid
contamination.
Gender factor
This job could be done by both sexes.
Seasonality
Collecting and preparing manure is an all year round job.
42
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5.1.2.
Beekeeping assistant
Helps in the production and extraction of honey, bottling the product and
selling it.
Main activities
•
setting up of beehives for the production of honey
•
extraction of honey
•
packaging and marketing the product
Prerequisite skills
A beekeeping assistant will need only limited social skills (ex. can
communicate by gestures) if not dealing with the public but needs to be
willing to assist and accept some criticism. However since he is involved in
food production the person must be clean when preparing and selling honey.
Safety awareness can be limited to safely using a cutlass and using fire for
generating smoke. Orientation and travel skills, as well as functional
academics can be minimal if the person is not involved in selling or bringing
the products to the market. However, responsibility, motivation and work
behavior must be given, and a certain degree of physical strength and agility
is needed.
Main task areas
Setting up beehives for the production of honey
•
carries wooden boxes (beehives) to the site and places them on stands
•
captures swarms on flowering plants during the swarming season in
February and March
•
places the swarms in the beehives which have been treated with wax
•
checks after two to three months to see if combs are ready for
harvesting
Extraction of honey
•
smokes boxes to drive away the swarm
•
retrieves the combs with a clean sieve or cloth
•
collects and strains the honey by squeezing it through a cloth
•
removes dirt and impurities from the strained honey
43
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Packaging and marketing the product
•
fills the honey into bottles or other containers using a funnel 8
•
carries the honey bottles in a container to the sales point
•
assists in selling the honey
Earnings
Depend on the amount of honey harvested and sold
For buying catcher and hiving boxes, metal stands, smokers, bucket, strainer,
wax and insecticide and bottles for filling with honey investment costs of
about 700 000 Cedis can be expected. However the assistant would only
need some protective clothing and a cutlass and a knife with the cost not
exceeding 50 000 cedis.
Risks of injury
The assistant can be stung by bee swarms or step on snakes in the bush. He
risks being cut while weeding and burns from fire while smoking the bees.
Safety measures
The helper should learn to work carefully with a knife or cutlass. Protective
clothing can be worn when working with the bees.
Gender factors
Customarily bee keeping is a male occupation but of course it is also possible
for females.
Seasonality
Keeping of bees and harvesting of honey is a year round occupation but has
its peak in the Harmattan season with hot weather.
8
The empty combs can be heated for extracting bee wax used for making candles or
other purposes
44
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5.1.3.
Feed attendant
Animals such as pigs, sheep and goats are kept in a pen to prevent accidents
or stealing. The caretaker feeds these animals three times a day.
Main activities
•
collecting feed
•
watering and feeding the animals
•
cleaning the pens
•
carrying out additional tasks as needed
Prerequisite skills
A high level of communication skills is not important, but the attendant must
be able to accept some criticism and be willing to help. Self care skills can be
limited as the feed attendant does not deal with the public. He needs to be
able to use sharp objects such as a cutlass and a knife safely; and orientation
and travel skills are essential in collecting animal feed. Functional academics
and social behavior can be quite rudimentary, but good motivation and work
behavior with a certain degree of physical strength and agility is a must.
Main task areas
Collecting feed
•
looks for grass for the animals
•
cuts grass using a cutlass or a sickle
•
removes sticks and inedible material
•
collects husks and peels from houses and chop bars in the locality
•
carries the feed home for the animals
Watering and feeding
•
shares the feed proportionally into the troughs or the containers for the
animals
•
makes sure there is always water for drinking.
Cleaning the pens
•
cleans the pen, the feed and water troughs
•
throws left-over feed (grass, cassava, peels ) away
•
stores feed in the appropriate place
45
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Additional tasks
•
helps in carrying out periodic repairs of the pen.
•
helps separate sick and pregnant animals from the others
Cutlass, wheelbarrow, sickle, basket, broom, Wellington boots. The necessary
equipment costs below 200 000 Cedis at present prices.
Take home share
Can earn up to 250 000 Cedis a month.
Risk of injury
The assistant can hurt himself with a cutlass or a sickle while cutting grass
but, in general, risk of injury is low.
Safety measures
A first aid kit should be available. The attendant should wear Wellington boots
and gloves when necessary. After work the attendant should wash carefully
to avoid infection.
Gender factors
This job can be performed by both sexes.
Seasonality
The activity of a feed attendant does not depend on a season.
46
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5.1.4.
Fisherman’s assistant
Helps prepare the boot for fishing, unloads the catch and brings it to the
market and assists in small repairs of the equipment.
Main activities
•
preparation for fishing
•
fishing at sea
•
small repairs and marketing
Prerequisite skills
A fisherman’s assistant needs only limited social skills (ex. can communicate
by gestures), but needs to be willing to assist and accept some criticism. The
person needs only very limited self-care skills, as he is not working in public.
Safety skills include being able to swim and not getting to close to the
outboard motor. Orientation and travel skills as well as functional academics
can be minimal if the person is not involved in selling or bringing the products
to the market. However, responsibility, motivation and work behavior must
be given, and a good degree of physical strength and agility is needed.
Main task areas
Preparation for fishing
•
carries ropes, nets and container to the boat
•
stores them in their proper place
•
carries the outboard motor to and from the boat
•
on instruction goes to buy fuel for the motor
•
helps push the boat into the sea
Fishing at sea
•
assists in casting the net
•
helps in pulling in the net
•
removes fish from the net
•
drains water from the boat with a tin or bucket
47
________________________________________________________________________________________
Small repairs and marketing
•
loads the catch into pans for carrying ashore
•
cleans and bundles the nets
•
carries nets, ropes and containers to the storage point
•
removes the outboard motor and stores it
•
cleans the boat
•
mends the nets when torn
•
helps transport fish to the selling point
Take home share
Depending on the skill on the job a helper can earn between 150 000 and
200 000 Cedis a month.
Investments for an outboard motor, nets and a boat can be quite high, but
the assistant himself does not need any money to become a helper
Risks of injury
Are given because of the heavy work and the dangers of the sea involved.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be careful near the outboard motor and taught to stand
or sit steadily in the boat. He should be able to swim and if possible wear a
life jacket.
Gender factors
Traditionally fishing is a male occupation.
Seasonality
Fishing is a year round regular activity except for those days when
traditionally no one goes to sea.
48
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5.1.5.
Helper in grass cutter rearing
Helps to feed and care for the grass cutters and prepares them for sale.
Main activities
•
preparing the feed
•
feeding the grass cutters
•
cleaning the pens or cages
•
preparing the mature animals for sale
Prerequisite skills
A helper in rearing grass cutters needs only limited social skills (ex. can
communicate by gestures), but needs to be willing to assist and accept some
criticism. The person needs only very limited self-care skills, as he is not
working in public. Since there are no specific hazards except for working with
sharp objects (knife and cutlass), his safety awareness can be relatively low.
Orientation and travel skills as well as functional academics can be minimal if
the person is not involved in selling or bringing the products to the market.
However, responsibility, motivation and work behavior must be given, and a
certain degree of physical strength and agility is needed.
Main task areas
Preparation of food and cleaning
•
cuts green cowpea and fresh grass using a cutlass
•
slices the nodes of leftover sugar cane with a knife
•
cuts and peels some food containing carbohydrates such as yam and
cassava
•
boils these peeled carbohydrate foods until they are soft
•
adds a quantity of salt to the food items
•
mixes the various food items using a stirring stick
•
removes leftover food daily
•
sweeps the pens or cages
•
scrubs with disinfectant once a month
Preparing the grass cutters for sale
•
selects the mature grass cutters on instruction
•
removes them from the pen by holding them by the neck and legs
49
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•
holds them down for slaughter
•
removes hair from carcass by immersing it in boiling water
•
scrapes off the hair using a knife
•
slits the stomach and removes the intestines
•
applies salt and rubs it into the meat
•
smokes the meat
•
brings the meat to the selling point
Take home share
A helper can earn up to 150 000 Cedis a month.
Cutlass, knife and shovel which demand investments of less than 50 000
Cedis at present prices.
Risks of injury
Are low, but the person can hurt himself with a knife or cutlass while
preparing the feed.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be careful in using a knife for peeling yams, sugar cane
and cassava and in handling boiling water.
In addition to that, no special safety measures are needed.
Gender factors
Both sexes can be employed in raising grass cutters.
Seasonality
Raising grass cutters is a regular, year round activity.
50
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5.1.6.
Herdsman’s helper
A herdsman’s helper assists in taking care of the cattle.
Main activities
•
preparing the feed
•
feeding the cattle
•
watering the cattle
•
cleaning the ranch
Prerequisite skills
A high level of communication skills is not important, but the attendant must
limited, as the feed attendant does not deal with the public. He needs to be
able to use sharp objects such as a cutlass and a knife safely. Orientation and
travel skills are essential in collecting animal feed. Functional academics and
social behavior can be quite rudimentary but good motivation and work
behavior, as well as a certain degree of physical strength and agility is a
must.
Main task areas
Preparing the feed
•
goes to the bush in the vicinity to cut grasses for the cattle
•
collects other tubers and cereals from the farm for the cattle
Feeding the cattle
•
removes old feed from their trough
•
replaces with new feed
•
takes them out to the near by grassland to graze
Watering the cattle
•
takes them to a water source to drink
•
fills their water containers in the ranch with water
51
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Cleaning the ranch
•
cleans the area where the cattle rest overnight
•
collects their manure in bags for sale as fertilizer
•
transfers the animals from unclean areas to unspoiled areas
Take home share
May earn up to 100 000 Cedis a month.
A sickle and cutlass with investments of less than 50 000 Cedis at present
prices.
Risks of injury
Are low, but the person must be able to deal with sharp objects, such as a
sickle or cutlass.
Safety measures
No specific measures are necessary except training in dealing with animals
and handling sharp objects.
Gender factors
It is possible for both sexes to do this job.
Seasonality
Cattle herding is practiced all year round.
52
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5.1.7.
Poultry feeder
The poultry feeder feeds the birds and waters them every morning, afternoon
and evenings. He collects the eggs and stores them so they do not break. He
keeps the birds’ water, feed, drinkers and troughs under hygienic conditions.
Main activities
•
washing drinkers and filling them with water
•
feeding the birds and collecting eggs
Prerequisite skills
A poultry feeder needs only limited social skills (ex. can communicate by
gestures), but needs to be willing to assist and accept some criticism. In
terms of self care skills, attractive appearance is not necessary because the
person is not in contact with the public. However, he must be clean in order
to avoid infection of the birds. The feeder must be able to use sharp objects
carefully in scraping the troughs, whereas working with open fire and dealing
with electrical hazards or wild animals is not an element of this job.
Orientation and travel skills, as well as functional academics are not
important for this job. Reactions to instruction and responsibility, as well as
good work motivation are essential. Bending and balancing, grasping and
holding, as well as moderate physical strength are important prerequisites of
this job.
Main task areas
Washing drinkers and filling them with water
•
turns the drinker upside down
•
unscrews the lid of the container
•
pours out the dirty water
•
washes the inner and outer parts with soap, water and sponge
•
rinses the container and its lid
•
half fills the drinker with clean water
•
overturns the drinker and carries it to the birds
Feeding the Birds
•
mixes the feed
•
removes the leftovers from the trough
53
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•
fetches the required quantity into the troughs in the coops and adds
feed (mash) into the trough
•
spreads the mash to cover the whole part of the feeding trough
•
observes weather conditions in relation to the quality of feed to give
the birds
•
leaves the scene to allow the birds to come around the feeding trough
•
stirs the mash to revive the appetite of the birds
•
leaves the scene to allow the birds to draw closer to the feed again
•
collects eggs from the pens into a basket if there are layers which are
laying
Take home share
The earnings of a poultry feeder can amount up to 250 000 Cedis depending
on his skill and the success of the venture.
Necessary tools and equipment
Cutlass, knife, Wellington boots with a necessary investment of less than 100
000 Cedis.
Risks of injury
Are low, but there is a possibility of being hurt when using a knife or a
cutlass.
Safety measures:
Supervision is needed in order to check that appropriate quantities of food
are given and the birds are kept in hygienic conditions. The person should be
taught to wash his hands carefully and clean himself after work.
Gender factors
This job can be performed by women as well as men.
Seasonality
This is a year round job.
54
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5.1.8.
Rabbit rearing helper
Helps to feed and care for rabbits and prepares them for marketing.
Main activities
•
preparing the feed and cleaning the hutches
•
keeping the animals healthy
•
preparing the mature animals for sale
Prerequisite skills
A helper in rearing rabbits needs only limited social skills (ex. can
communicate by gestures), but needs to be willing to assist and accept some
criticism. The person needs only very limited self-care skills, as he is not
working in public. Since there are no specific hazards except for working with
sharp objects (knife and cutlass), his safety awareness can be relatively low.
Orientation and travel skills as well as functional academics can be minimal if
Main task areas
•
collects left over food such as pieces of bread, kenkey, peels of plantain
and cassava, leaves of potatoes, cabbage and lettuce
•
gives feed according to the size of the animal
•
cuts green grass as feed
•
gives tablet or pellet food when it is available
•
gives clean water to drink
•
removes leftover food daily
•
sweeps the hutches and removes the droppings
•
scrubs with disinfectant once a month
Keeping the rabbits healthy
•
observes when the rabbits are not active, when eyes are dull, skin not
smooth and shining
•
reports these observations to the owner
55
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•
keeps pregnant rabbits in a separate hutches and supplies them with
clean dry grass ( guinea grass) and clean fresh water
•
gives plenty of fresh water and greater quantities of food to the doe in
order to stimulate breast milk
•
keeps bunnies after they are eight weeks old in separate hutches
•
helps the veterinary officer when vaccinating and disinfecting the hutch
Preparing the rabbits for sale
•
selects the mature rabbits on instruction after about 160 days
•
removes them from the pen by holding them by the loose skin at the
neck
•
places them in a wire net basket
•
helps transport them to the selling point
Earnings
Depending on the skill on the job a helper can earn between 100 000 and
Depending on the number of rabbits the owner will need water troughs,
hutches, feeding troughs. But the assistant will only need a cutlass,
Wellington boots and a knife with investments of less than 100 000 cedis at
present prices.
Risks of injury
Are low, but the person can hurt himself with a knife or cutlass while
preparing the feed.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be careful in using a knife or cutlass and avoid prolonged
exposure to the sun. Hands need to be washed after coming into contact with
rabbit droppings.
Gender factors
Both sexes can help in raising rabbits.
56
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Seasonality
Raising rabbits is a regular, year round activity.
57
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5.1.9.
Snail raising helper
Feeds and prepares the mature snails for sale. Snails must be fattened for
about 6 months before they are ready to be eaten.
Main activities
•
preparing the snails’ feed
•
feeding the snails
•
arranging the snails into groups according to size
•
cleaning the snail’s dugout-hole
•
packaging the snails for sale
Prerequisite skills
A snail raising helper needs only limited social skills (ex. can communicate by
gestures), but needs to be willing to assist and accept some criticism. The
Since there are no specific hazards, his safety awareness can be very low.
Orientation and travel skills, as well as functional academics can be minimal if
Main task areas
•
prepares the snails’ feed from locally available foodstuff and materials
such as yam, banana, kitchen leftover, most types of soft leaves etc.
•
waters the pen every morning and evening and provides drinking water
for the snails in a dish
58
•
mixes the food and distributes it well all over the pen
•
clears old feed and feces from the boxes or pen
•
replaces the boxes and fills them with the new feed
•
sorts out older and bigger snails away from the newly hatched
•
sorts out the snails into various size groups
•
sends the sorted snails into their appropriate compartment
•
covers the various compartment in the pen
________________________________________________________________________________________
Preparing the snails for sale
•
removes and cleans the mature snails with water
•
sorts the snails into a basket or sack
•
carries the baskets or sacks of snails to a point of sale.
Take home share
A helper in snail keeping receives an estimated amount of ¢2,000 a day and
receives approximately ¢ 60,000 per month.
A cutlass and knife with the necessary investments not exceeding 50 000
Cedis
Risks of injury
Are low, but there is a possibility of being hurt when using a knife or a
cutlass.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be cautioned to handle the snails with care as they are
delicate. But no special safety measures are needed.
Gender factors
Both sexes can be employed in snail keeping.
Seasonality
Snail keeping is a regular, year round activity.
59
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5.1.10.
Tilapia raising assistant
Helps in preparing the site for pond construction, in filling and stocking the
pond in feeding and harvesting the fish catch.
Main activities
•
preparing the site and constructing the pond
•
assuring the water supply stocking and managing the fish pond
•
harvesting and marketing the fish
Prerequisite skills
A Tilapia raising helper needs only limited social skills (ex. can communicate
by gestures), but needs to be willing to assist and accept some criticism. The
Since there are no specific hazards, his safety awareness can be very low.
Orientation and travel skills, as well as functional academics can be minimal if
Main task areas
Preparation of the site and construction of the pond
•
clears the land for the fish pond with a hoe or cutlass
•
help dig the fish pond about 4 feet deep to a given size
•
digs a water inlet and outlet
•
assists in filling the pond with water and adding lime to correct acidity
of the water
Assuring the water supply stocking and managing the fish pond
•
places the fingerlings ( small fish) into the pond
•
feeds the fishes with a mixture of tapioca flour, boiled lettuce of
cabbage leaves
60
•
feeds fish with fish pellets bought in the market
•
removes weed when there are too many in the water
•
adds water in the dry season when too much has evaporated
________________________________________________________________________________________
Harvesting and marketing the fish
•
traps the mature fish with a net and puts them in a bowl
•
carries the fish to the market
•
helps in selling the fish
Earnings
Depending on the skill level a helper can earn about 200 000 cedis a month.
A cutlass and knife with the necessary investments not exceeding 50 000
Cedis
Risks of injury
Are low, but there is a possibility of being hurt when using a knife or a cutlass
when preparing feed.
Safety measures
The helper should learn to work carefully with a knife or cutlass. After liming
and weed control hands should be washed thoroughly.
Gender factors
Both sexes can be employed in tilapia raising.
Seasonality
Tilapia raising is a regular, year round activity.
61
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5.2.
CROP FARMING
As mentioned before, work can be found on large farms specializing in
growing cocoa, pineapples or citrus fruits and other cash crops as well as
tending to small plots of land where vegetables are planted for own
consumption. Depending on the circumstances, the work done can be limited
to only a few specialized tasks or involve many separate activities.
Many task involved in raising different types of fruits and vegetables and cash
crops are quite similar. In order to demonstrate how many jobs can be
handled by persons with a mental retardation in this area we have presented
a task analysis of growing quite a number of different fruits and vegetables
even though the tasks involved may be quite similar.
NURSERY BED HELPER
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5.2.1.
Citrus orchard assistant
Helps in preparing seedlings, planting trees, weeding and harvesting fruit and
bringing it to the market.
Main activities
•
sorting seedlings according to the scent and shape of the leaf
•
transplanting seedlings and tending them so they grow into fruit trees
•
plucking the fruit and carrying it to the house and the market
Prerequisite skills
An orchard assistant does not need a high degree of social competence or self
help skills, as he will not be dealing with the public. Safety awareness can be
limited to working with farm tools, such as a hoe and cutlass as well as
reacting appropriately to the dangers of wild animals. Functional academics
and orientation and travel skills can be quite limited. However, the person
must be able to work in groups (social behavior), have good motivation and
work behavior. He must also be able to lift and carry weights up to 15 kg,
walk for some distances, grasp and hold objects firmly, and work in a bent
position for up to half an hour at a time (physical strength and agility).
Main task areas
Sorting seedlings according to the scent and shape of the leaf
•
sorts orange, grapefruit and lemon seedlings according to size
•
puts them under different shading sheds
•
waters them daily
Transplanting seedlings and tending them so they grow into fruit trees
•
weeds the area around the future site of the tree
•
digs a hole around 5 cm deep into the ground using a measuring stick
•
places the seedling into the hole tamping the earth around the roots
firmly so the plant stands firmly
•
places sticks or a basket around the plant so animals cannot eat or
uproot it.
•
weeds around the young tree so it can grow
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Plucking the fruit and carrying it to the house and the market
•
holds the branch with one hand and plucks the fruit with the other
•
puts the ripe fruits in a basket and carries them to the house
•
assists in loading the vehicle that brings the fruits to the market
Take home share
Can make about 100 000 Cedis a month.
Necessary equipment and investments
Wellington boots, cutlass, hoe. The investments being below 100 000 Cedis
at present prices.
Job risks
Are low, although the person can hurt himself by weeding with a cutlass or
stepping on scorpions.
Safety measures
The person should wear boots and sometimes gloves, as well as be aware of
danger when the trees are sprayed.
Gender factors
This is an activity for both sexes.
Seasonality
An orchard tree attendant can work during the whole year.
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5.2.2.
Cocoa farmer’s assistant
Helps grow, harvest and prepare cocoa beans.
Main activities
•
weeding and assisting in spraying the trees
•
harvesting cocoa pods and drying cocoa beans
Prerequisite skills
In order to help in cocoa farming communication skills (social competence)
and self help skills can be quite limited as the person is not dealing with the
public. Safety awareness must be given for dealing with sharp objects such
as a cutlass and being able to react to wild animals. Functional academics
and orientation and travel skills can be low but good motivation and work
behavior as well positive social behavior and a medium degree of physical
strength and agility are necessary prerequisites of this job.
Main task areas
Weeding and assisting in spraying the trees
•
uses a cutlass to weed and prune the cocoa trees
•
removes all the parasites on and around the trees
•
fetches water from a source on the farm or near the farm
•
assists in mixing water and chemicals for spraying
Harvesting cocoa pods and drying cocoa beans
•
plucks mature and ripe cocoa pods and carries them to the house in a
basket
•
cracks the cocoa pods open to put the beans into a basket
•
spreads mats for drying the cocoa beans on an even surface
•
dries cocoa beans by turning them as often as necessary in the sun
•
stores the dried beans in sacks for transport to the cocoa company
Take home share
A cocoa farmer’s helper may earn up to 250 000 Cedis a month.
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A cutlass, a sickle and Wellington boots with an investment of about 100 000
Cedis at present prices.
Risks of injury
Are low, except hurting oneself weeding with a hoe or cutlass or stepping on
a scorpion, or snake. As spraying chemicals are dangerous for eyes and
respiration, the assistant should not be involved.
Safety measures
The helper should wear boots and be careful with a hoe and cutlass, avoid
prolonged exposure to the sun, and wash hands after coming in contact with
chemicals.
Gender factors
Both male and females could do this job.
Seasonality
The majority of work occurs in the dry season.
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5.2.3.
Cotton farming assistant
Helps in preparing the land, sowing the cotton, weeding, fertilizing, spraying
and harvesting, as well as preparing the cotton for selling.
Main activities
•
preparing the land and placing seeds
•
pricking the seedlings and fertilizing
•
weeding and spraying
•
harvesting and separating cotton from the seeds
Prerequisite skills
Communication (social behavior) and self help skills can be quite low and
safety awareness can be limited to handling sharp objects like a cutlass and
knowing how to react to wild animals. Orientation and travel skills and
functional academics can be very limited. However the person must be able
to work in a group (social behavior), have good motivation and work
behavior, be physically strong and able to bend over for long periods of time.
Main task areas
Preparing the land and placing seeds
•
removes large stones and roots after the land has been plowed with a
tractor
•
digs holes in a distance of about one foot by using a measuring stick
•
puts four seeds in each hole and covers it with soil
Pricking the seedlings and fertilizing
•
removes small plants after about two weeks when seeds have
germinated so that only two remain in each hole
•
after about three weeks removes weeds and applies fertilizer about 10
cm from each plant using a measuring stick
•
fetches water for spraying the plants with insecticide
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Harvesting and separating cotton from the seeds
•
holds a sack firmly in one hand and walks from one mature cotton
plant to the next in a row
•
plucks the cotton bud from the stem with one hand and puts it into the
sack
•
plucks all the mature and burst cotton pods until the sack is full
•
ties the sack closed with a strong thread and carries it to the house
•
separates the cotton from the seeds and places these in different
containers
•
helps in packaging cotton and seeds and in transporting them to the
scale and collection and sales area
Take home share
A cotton farming assistant can earn about 100 000 Cedis a month.
Wellington boots, gloves, cutlass, hoe with investments below 100 000 Cedis
at present prices.
Risks of injury
Are low, although sun stroke or hurting yourself while weeding is a
possibility.
Safety measures
The helper should wear boots, avoid getting fertilizer or insecticide in eyes,
nose or mouth and wash hands carefully after use. He should not be directly
involved in plant spraying.
Gender factors
Depending on the individual’s strength and agility, cotton farming can be
done by men and women.
Seasonality
Main activities are in the rainy season and up to harvesting in October,
November. Then other crops are planted.
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5.2.4.
Flower garden helper
Assists in planting, watering and preparing flowers for sale for weddings and
other occasions.
Main activities
•
building a shady roof for the plants
•
preparing the flower pots with soil
•
planting the seedlings and watering
•
removing weeds and drying leaves
Prerequisite skills
For this job communication (social competence) and self help skills can be
very limited. As the person is neither dealing with fire, electrical appliances or
sharp objects, safety awareness can be elementary. This also applies to
functional academics, social behavior and travel and orientation skills.
However, good motivation and work behavior is important, and medium
physical strength for carrying water cans. Also important is the ability to work
in a bent over position for some time.
Main task areas
Building a shady roof for the plants
•
digs holes for forked sticks as corner posts
•
uses long sticks to connect these corner posts
•
covers the structure of crossbars with palm leaves to create a shady
roof
Preparing the flower pots with soil
•
uses hands of a trowel to scoop up the soil
•
fills the pot with loamy soil up to the brim without spilling
•
places the pots under the shaded area
Planting the seedlings and watering
•
places the seedlings or cuttings in the middle of the pot tamping them
down firmly without disturbing the roots
•
uses a bucket or watering can to carry water from a well, a tap or other
source of water
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•
sprinkles water on the soil of the flower pots so that it is moist but not
waterlogged
•
waters twice daily in the dry season and as needed, in the rainy season
•
removes weeds and dry leaves and buds of the flower as needed
Take home share
A flower garden helper can earn between 80 000 and 100 000 Cedis a month.
Necessary equipments and investments
Hoe, hand trowel, bucket, cutlass. For the needed equipment about 140 000
Cedis must be invested at present prices.
Risks involved
Are low, the person can hurt himself with a cutlass and should be taught to
watch out for scorpions and snakes when working with the soil.
Safety measures
The helper should wear Wellington boots and learn to watch out for scorpions
and snakes.
Gender factors
This job can be performed by men and women.
Seasonality
Flower gardening is a year round job.
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5.2.5.
Garden eggs farming assistant
Helps prepare the seedlings, weeds and fertilizes the soil, plants the
seedlings, harvests the garden eggs and assists in bringing them to the
market.
Main activities
•
preparing the land and raising seedlings in the nursery bed
•
planting, weeding, fertilizing and spraying
•
harvesting and marketing
Prerequisite skills
In order to help in growing garden eggs, communication skills (social
competence) and self help skills can be quite reduced. Safety awareness can
be limited to dealing with sharp objects such as a cutlass and being able to
react to wild animals. Functional academics and orientation and travel skills
can be low, but good motivation, work behavior as well positive social
behavior and a medium degree of physical strength and agility is a necessary
prerequisite of this job.
Main task areas
Preparing the land and raising seedlings in the nursery bed
•
clears the land for the nursery bed with a hoe and removes weeds,
sticks and stones
•
spreads the seeds on the soil and under plantain leaves to keep it
moist for germination
•
removes the plantain leaves after about five days and waters the
seedlings daily
Planting, weeding, fertilizing and spraying
•
after about five weeks the seedlings are transplanted to the main land
which has been ploughed
•
digs holes in a distance of about 9 cm using a measuring stick
•
places the seedling in the hole and tamps the soil around it making
sure not to harm the roots so the plant stands firm in the ground
•
removes all weeds around and under the plant about three weeks after
planting
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•
two weeks after first weeding, scoops a handful of fertilizer from a bowl
and places it about 10 cm from the plant using a measuring stick and
mixes it into the soil
•
assists in spraying the plants every week by fetching and carrying
water
Harvesting and marketing
•
grasps the mature fruits firmly with one hand, plucks them and places
them in a basket
•
Carries the full basket from the farm to the house
•
helps carry or transport the garden eggs from the house to the market
Take home share
Depending on the persons usefulness at the job the assistant can earn
between 100 000 and 300 000 Cedis a month.
Basket, bucket or watering can, hoe, Wellington boots, cutlass with an
investment of a little over 100 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low except hurting oneself weeding with a hoe or cutlass or stepping on a
scorpion or snake. As spraying chemicals are dangerous for eyes and
Safety measures
The assistant should wear boots and be careful with a hoe and cutlass, avoid
prolonged exposure to the sun, wash hands after coming in contact with
chemicals such as fertilizer and insecticides.
Gender factors
Both men and women can work at this job.
Seasonality
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Garden eggs are planted in the rainy seasons. If there is irrigation water then
garden eggs can also be grown during the dry season.
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5.2.6.
Mushroom farming helper
Waters, weeds, harvests and sells mature mushrooms.
Main activities
•
preparing the land and planting the seeds
•
watering and weeding the young mushrooms
•
harvesting and selling the mature plants
Prerequisite skills
Communication can be limited but the person must be willing to assist and
accept criticism (social competence). Self care skills can be very reduced, and
orientation and travel skills can be quite low if the person is not involved in
marketing the mushrooms. Safety awareness can be limited to the use of
sharp objects and dangers of wild animals. Neither functional academics nor
group functioning are important in this job. However, good motivation and
work behavior is essential, and medium strength and agility is an advantage.
Main task areas
Land preparation and planting of seeds
•
clears the land by removing weeds
•
digs a pit 15 cm deep and 2 x 1,5m as measured by another person
•
fills the pit either with saw dust (preferably wawa, onyina and
kyenkyen trees) or cassava peelings with palm fruit pulp added
•
plants the seeds
•
pours water on the pit until well soaked
Watering and weeding the young mushrooms
•
waters daily to keep moist
•
uses a cutlass to remove all the unwanted weeds from the pit
•
helps the young mushrooms grow firm by tamping earth around the
roots
•
weeds and waters every day
Harvesting and selling of mature plants
•
identifies the mature mushrooms and gently removes them from the
soil
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•
sorts the harvested mushrooms according to size
•
washes them in clean water and fills them into bags according to size
and price
•
pricks holes into the bags to allow the air to keep the mushrooms fresh
•
transports the mushroom bags to sales location
Take home share
A helper in a mushroom farm can receive about 6 000 Cedis a day or 180 000
Cedis a month.
Cutlass, pick axe, spade, watering can, boots. The investments will amount to
about 160 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risks of injury
Are low, but the helper can injure himself while digging or weeding.
Safety measures
The person must be taught to be cautious when handling a cutlass, a pick or
shovel. A first aid kit should be available.
Gender factors
Both sexes can help in mushroom farming.
Seasonality
Mushroom farming is a year round occupation.
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5.2.7.
Okro farmer’s helper
The okro farmer’s helper assists in planting, harvesting and bringing the
produce to the nearest market.
Main activities
•
helping in clearing the land and preparing the site for planting
•
Planting, weeding and spraying
•
Prerequisite skills
In order to assist in okro farming, communication skills (social competence)
and self help skills can be quite limited. Safety awareness can be reduced to
dealing with sharp objects, such as a cutlass and being able to react to wild
animals. Functional academics can be low and orientation and travel skills
limited to finding the way to the farm and back home. But good motivation
and work behavior, as well positive social behavior, and a medium degree of
physical strength and agility are necessary prerequisites of this job.
.
Main task areas
Clearing the land and preparing the site for planting
•
goes to the farm with the master to clear the land
•
removes dead plants and tree stumps
•
removes weeds, sticks and stones with a hoe
•
makes beds for planting the okro
Planting, weeding and spraying
•
digs the ground to plant the seeds
•
uses a watering can or a jet spray watering tube to water the okro
plants
•
removes weeds from around the crops
•
assists in spraying the plants by fetching and carrying water
•
grasps the mature okro firmly with one hand, plucks them and places
them in a basket
•
76
carries the full basket from the farm to the house
________________________________________________________________________________________
•
helps convey the okro to a market
Take home share
A daily wage of 5 000 Cedis and a monthly income of about 150 000 Cedis is
possible.
Necessary equipment and investment
A cutlass, a rake, a hand trowel, a knife , a watering can and Wellington
boots are the necessary equipment for this job with investments not
exceeding 150 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
a scorpion or snake. As spraying chemicals is dangerous for eyes and
Safety measures
The helper should wear boots, be careful with a hoe and cutlass. Avoid
prolonged exposure to the sun and wash hands after coming in contact with
Gender factors
Seasonality
This could be a year round job.
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5.2.8.
Onion farming assistant
Helps in raising onion seedlings, transplanting, weeding and harvesting the
mature onions and preparing them for sale.
Main activities
•
•
•
Prerequisite skills
In order to help in growing onions, communication skills (social competence)
and self help skills can be quite reduced. Safety awareness can be limited to
dealing with sharp objects such as a cutlass. Since onions are not raised in
the forest there is no need of being able to react to wild animals. Functional
academics and orientation and travel skills can be low. However, good
motivation and work behavior, positive social behavior, along with a medium
degree of physical strength and agility are necessary prerequisites of this job.
Main task areas
•
clears the land for the nursery bed with a hoe removing weeds, tree
stumps, sticks and stones
•
after three weeks spreads the seeds on the soil using either the drilling
or broadcasting method
•
waters the bed and covers it with palm leaves to keep the soil moist
•
for germination
•
after about five days removes the palm leaves and waters the
seedlings daily
•
transplants the seedlings after about five weeks to the main bed which
has been leveled, cleared of stones and watered
•
adds organic manure such as cow dung to enrich the soil
•
•
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•
planting
•
loosens the soil around the plant for aeration by using a hand fork
•
after turning the soil scoops a handful of fertilizer from a bowl and
mixes it into the soil by hand or sprays liquid fertilizer.
•
uproots the onions by firmly pulling them out of the ground
•
puts them into a basket and carries it from the farm to the house
•
cuts of the sprouts and fills the onions into a sack
•
helps carry or transport the sacks from the house to the market
Take home share
between 100 000 and 150 000 Cedis a month. A bed of onions can bring
about 2 million cedis.
investment of a little over 150 000 Cedis at present prices. The farmer may
also want to use a pump to transport water from a source to the field.
Risk of injuries
a scorpion or snake. No insecticides are sprayed in onion farming.
Safety measures
fertilizer and the soil.
Gender factors
Seasonality
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Onions are planted throughout the year since they are watered. They take
three months to mature. Other vegetables such as spinach, okro, lettuce and
pepper are planted along side of onions.
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5.2.9.
Pepper farming assistant
Helps in raising pepper seedlings, transplanting, weeding and harvesting the
mature pepper and preparing it for sale.
Main activities
•
•
•
Prerequisite skills
In order to help in growing pepper communication skills (social competence)
dealing with sharp objects such as a cutlass and being able to react to wild
animals. Functional academics and orientation and travel skills can be low.
However, good motivation and work behavior, positive social behavior, along
with a medium degree of physical strength and agility are necessary
prerequisites of this job.
Main task areas
•
clears the land for the nursery bed with a hoe removing weeds, sticks
and stones
•
spreads the seeds on the soil and mixes them with the topsoil
•
waters the bed and covers it with plantain leaves to keep it moist for
germination
•
after about five days removes the plantain leaves and waters the
seedlings daily
•
After about five weeks the seedlings are transplanted to the main land
which has been ploughed
•
•
•
planting
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•
Two weeks after first weeding, scoops a handful of fertilizer from a
bowl and places it about 10 cm from the plant using a measuring stick
and mixes it into the soil by hand
•
water
•
grasps the ripe pepper firmly with one hand, plucks them and places
them in a basket
•
•
fills the pepper into a sack and ties it firmly with a string
•
Take home share
investment of a little over 100 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
respiration, the assistant should not be involved (except for fetching water for
mixing the chemicals).
Safety measures
Gender factors
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Seasonality
Peppers are planted in the rainy season. If there is irrigation water, then
pepper can also be grown during the dry season.
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5.2.10.
Potato farming assistant
Helps in clearing the land, raising small mounds, cutting and planting potato
stems, weeding and harvesting the mature potatoes and preparing them for
sale.
Main activities
•
preparing the land and raising small mounds
•
cutting and planting stems, weeding
•
Prerequisite skills
In
order
to
help
in
growing
potatoes
communication
skills
(social
competence) and self help skills can be quite reduced. Safety awareness can
be limited to dealing with fire, sharp objects such as a cutlass and reacting to
wild animals. Functional academics and orientation and travel skills can be
low. However, good motivation and work behavior, positive social behavior,
along with a medium degree of physical strength and agility are necessary for
this job.
Main task areas
Preparing the land and raising small mounds
•
clears the land with a cutlass removing weeds, tree stumps, sticks and
stones
•
heaps the dried weeds and burns them
•
assists in ploughing the field
•
spreads fertilizer evenly on the ploughed soil
•
one week after fertilizer application raises small mounds about 15
inches in diameter and 6 inches apart on the soil using a hoe
Cutting and planting stems, weeding
•
cuts fresh creeping stems of the potato plant with a sharp knife to
about 12 inches length
•
digs holes about 5 inches deep into the top of the mound
•
places the stem into the hole and tamps the soil around it
•
removes all weeds around and under the plant about five weeks after
planting
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•
clears the creeping stems from the mounds with a cutlass
•
digs the mature potato tubers from the mound by carefully using a hoe
•
collects the potatoes and carries them in a basket from the farm to the
house
•
helps to bag the potatoes in medium sized fertilizer sacks weighing
about 30 kg
•
stitches the sacks shut using needle and string
•
Take home share
Basket, hoe, Wellington boots, cutlass, needle and thread with an investment
of a little over 150 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low, except hurting oneself weeding with a hoe or cutlass, burning weeds
with a fire or stepping on a scorpion or snake.
Safety measures
fertilizer and the soil.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Potatoes are usually planted during the rainy season. However, if there is
irrigation they can also be grown during the dry season.
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5.2.11.
Shallot farming assistant
Helps in weeding, raising beds, carrying farm yard manure to the site,
watering and harvesting the plants.
Main activities
•
preparing the beds and planting
•
watering, weeding, fertilizing and spraying
•
harvesting, processing and marketing
Prerequisite skills
In order to help in growing shallots communication skills (social competence)
dealing with fire and sharp objects such as a cutlass. Functional academics
and orientation and travel skills can be low. However, good motivation and
work behavior, positive social behavior, along with a medium degree of
physical strength and agility are necessary for this job.
Main task areas
Preparing the beds and planting
•
clears the land with a cutlass removing weeds, tree stumps, sticks and
stones
•
heaps the dried weeds and burns them
•
raises beds of a given size to a height of about 15 cm
•
mixes manure with the soil
•
soaks the soil with water
Watering, weeding, fertilizing and spraying
•
prepares holes about 3 cm deep and 6cm apart using a measuring stick
•
places seed into the holes
•
sprinkles the bed with water twice daily during the dry season
•
after the bulbs have germinated after about two weeks sprinkles
chemical fertilizer on the beds by hand
86
•
picks weeds by hand and loosens soil with a hand fork
•
helps spray the crop with an insecticide diluted with water
________________________________________________________________________________________
Harvesting processing and marketing
•
uproots shallots by pulling the dried sprouts out of the earth
•
places the shallot into a basket and carries from the farm to the house
•
scatters the bulbs on the ground to dry
•
bulbs are selected and outer skin and roots removed
•
depending on their size ties forty or more bulbs together in a bundle
•
helps carry or transport the shallots from the house to the market
Take home share
The assistant will need a basket, hoe, Wellington boots and a cutlass costing
less than 100 000 cedis, whereas the farmer will need a garden line and pegs
as well as a spraying machine in addition.
Risk of injuries
Are low, except hurting oneself weeding with a hoe or cutlass, burning weeds
with a fire or stepping on a scorpion or snake
Safety measures
fertilizer and the soil. As spraying insecticide is dangerous for the eyes and
respiration the assistant should not be involved.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Shallots are planted twice a year. The major season is between June and
September with less watering. During the minor season between Decembers
to February the beds need constant irrigation.
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5.2.12.
Tomato farmer’s assistant
Helps the farmer to grow tomatoes for the family’s consumption and for
commercial purposes.
Main activities
•
•
planting, weeds, fertilizing and spraying
•
Prerequisite skills
The following profile makes it likely that someone can be trained to perform
the task above with little or no difficulty. In order to help in tomato growing
communication skills (social competence) and self help skills can be quite
reduced. Safety awareness can be limited to dealing with sharp objects such
as a cutlass and being able to react to wild animals. Functional academics
and orientation and travel skills can be low, but good motivation, work
behavior, positive social behavior and a medium degree of physical strength
and agility are necessary prerequisites of this job.
Main task areas
•
clears the land for the nursery bed with a hoe removing weeds, sticks
and stones
•
helps remove tree stumps from the land
•
spreads the seeds on the soil and mixes them with the topsoil
•
waters the bed and covers it with plantain leaves to keep it moist
•
for germination
•
after about five days, removes the plantain leaves and waters the
seedlings daily
•
After about five weeks, the seedlings are transplanted to the main land
•
•
•
88
ties plant to a stick if necessary
________________________________________________________________________________________
•
planting
•
two weeks after first weeding, scoops a handful of fertilizer from a bowl
and places it about 10 cm from the plant using a measuring stick and
mixes it into the soil by hand.
•
water
•
chooses the ripe tomatoes according to color
•
grasps ripe tomatoes firmly with one hand, plucks them and places
them in a basket
•
•
packages ripe tomatoes into a crate
•
helps carry or transport the crates from the house to the market
Take home share
Depending on the persons ability, a tomato farming assistant can earn up to
Hoe, cutlass, watering can, Wellington boots, gloves with an investment of a
little over 100 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low, except hurting oneself weeding with a hoe or cutlass or encountering
respiration, the assistant should not be involved except for fetching water for
mixing the chemicals.
Safety measures
prolonged exposure to the sun, wash hands after coming in contact with
Gender factors
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Seasonality
Tomatoes are planted in the rainy seasons. If there is irrigation water then
tomato growing can also be done during the dry season.
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CRAFTS
As industrial work is still quite rare crafts are a common form of earning one’s
living in Ghana. Some crafts demand a high degree of strength and physical
fitness, whereas others are focused primarily on fine motor skills. This is why
we distinguish crafts involving heavy and light physical labor.
CRAFTS,
HEAVY PHSYSICAL LABOUR
Charcoal burner’s assistant
CRAFTS,
LIGHT PHSYSICAL LABOUR
Mat weaver’s helper
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5.3.
CRAFTS INVOLVING HEAVY PHYSICAL
LABOUR
CHARCOAL BURNER’S HELPER
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5.3.1.
Blacksmith’s helper
Helps carry and store materials and tools, maintains the fire, and tidies the
shop and its surroundings after each days work.
Main activities
•
loading and storing materials
•
setting and maintaining fire
•
sweeping and cleaning the workshop
Prerequisite skills
Self Care Skills can be limited as the person will not interact much with the
public. However, a certain level of social competence in communication, as
well as tolerance of criticism is a necessity. Travel and orientation skills do
not need to be much extended as the person works in one place. Functional
academics can be minimal but the person must be able to work with fire
(safety awareness). Motivation and work behavior must be developed. The
assistant must be strong to be able to carry iron and charcoal and must be
agile, as he needs to stay in the same position for some time in pumping the
bellows.
Main task areas
Loading and storing materials
•
carries scrap iron and charcoal from the vehicle to the shop
•
stacks and stores these materials in the appropriate place
Setting and maintaining fire
•
lights a fire
•
adds charcoal as needed
•
uses the bellows to blow air so that the charcoal glows and becomes
white hot
Sweeping and cleaning of the workshop
•
sweeps and cleans the workshop after work
•
collects the rubbish into waste bin
•
brings the refuse to a dumping ground
•
stores the tools where they belong
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Bellows will usually be provided by the blacksmith so no investments are
necessary.
Take home share
A blacksmith’s helper will earn about 100 000 Cedis per month.
Risk of injuries
There is a risk of injury by fire and flying sparks, as well as dropping heavy
iron loads on ones foot.
Safety measures
The helper must be trained to be careful with fire when pumping the bellows
and learn how to lift and carry heavy loads without straining the back. Burn
ointment should be available in the shop.
Gender factors
Though they may posses the necessary strength, it is unusual for a woman to
be a blacksmith’s helper.
Seasonality
Blacksmithing is year round work.
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5.3.2.
Block maker’s assistant
Helps make building blocks out of cement, sand and water for sale.
Main activities
•
mixing cement, sand and water
•
filling the block moulder
•
drying the blocks and stacking them for sale
•
storing materials and tidying up the work place
Prerequisite skills
A high level of communication skills is not important, but the assistant must
limited as the helper does not deal with the public. He needs to be able to use
sharp objects to cut open the cement bags but needs few orientation and
travel skills as he works at the same site. Functional academics can be
limited to using measuring bowls for mixing, and social behavior can be quite
rudimentary. However, good motivation and work behavior, as well as a
certain degree of physical strength and agility are a must.
Main task areas
Mixing cement, sand and water
•
fetches water and pours it into a large container
•
carries sand to the site with a head pan or in a wheelbarrow
•
opens cement bag with a razor blade and scoops out a quantity of
cement
•
mixes measured quantities of sand and cement with water on a level
ground surface using a shovel
Filling and using the block moulder
•
fills the moulds with the mixture without spilling
•
makes sure that the mould is completely full
•
presses down firmly on the bar
•
removes the moulds and carries it to the drying area
Drying the blocks and stacking them for sale
•
places the blocks carefully on an even surface
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•
sprinkles water over them from time to time
•
waits for several days for the blocks to dry
•
stacks them by the roadside for sale
Storing materials and tidying up the work place
•
carries the opened cement bags to the work shed in the evening
•
cleans buckets and shovels, so that no hardened cement remains
•
stores wheelbarrow, head pans, shovels etc. in the shed over night
•
sweeps and weeds the ground when so instructed
Take home share
A helper can earn about 100 000 Cedis a month.
Shovel, head pan, boots with investments below 100 000 Cedis at present
prices.
Risk of injuries
As cement bags weigh 50 kg, the person must be strong enough to carry
such heavy loads.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are necessary.
Gender factors
Customarily, this is a job for men.
Seasonality
Building blocks are made during the whole year.
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5.3.3.
Chain saw operator’s assistant
Helps the chain saw operator who fells trees by carrying tools and petrol,
clearing the ground around the tree and stacking lumber.
Main activities
•
carrying tools and equipment to the site and back
•
clearing the ground around the tree
•
cutting off branches and stacking lumber
Prerequisite skills
Main considerations for the selection of persons that could be trained for this
job are a high degree of physical strength and agility, good safety awareness
as well as developed orientation and travel skills as the assistant will need to
roam about. Social competence and self help skills can be reduced and
functional academics can be minimal. However, the person must be able to
work in a team (social behavior) and demonstrate good motivation and work
behavior. Because of the high risk of injury, only an extremely cautious
mentally handicapped person can be selected for this job. In addition, it must
be guaranteed that the team he is working with will take care that he will not
be endangered and involved in accidents.
Main task areas
Carrying tools and equipment to the site and back
•
carries petrol can, axe and chain saw to the forest
•
places the tools at a place where they can easily be found
•
assists in refueling the chain saw when instructed
Clearing the ground around the tree
•
uses a cutlass to clear the ground around the base of the tree
•
clears in a radius of about 2 feet so that the chain saw operator can
work freely
•
removes bushes and branches that can hinder the smooth felling of the
tree
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Cutting off branches and stacking lumber
•
removes branches of felled trees with a cutlass
•
stacks the pieces cut by the chain saw operator for transport according
to size
Take home share
Depending on the skill of the assistant a sum between 100 000 and 300 000
Cedis monthly could be earned. The wages are paid as a daily flat rate.
Boots, cutlass, hard hat, overall and gloves costing around 150 000 Cedis at
present prices.
Risk of injuries
This is a high risk job that should only be entrusted to a person who is careful
and can react swiftly. Not only can working near a chain saw cause serious
accidents, there is also the danger of being hurt by a falling tree or of cutting
oneself while trimming branches.
Safety precautions
The person should be trained in avoiding accidents inherent to felling trees,
wear boots and a helmet, as well as gloves when doing rough work with his
hands. A first aid kit should be available.
Gender factors
This work is customarily done by men.
Seasonality
Tree cutting with chain saws is a year round occupation.
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5.3.4.
Charcoal burner’s assistant
Helps gather wood and burns and bags charcoal.
Main activities
•
gathering wood for making charcoal
•
preparing a trench and stacking wood
•
setting fire and burning the charcoal
•
collecting and preparing the charcoal for sale in sacks
Prerequisite skills
limited, as the charcoal burner’s helper does not deal with the public. He
needs to be able to use sharp objects such as a cutlass and a knife safely;
and orientation and travel skills are essential in collecting wood. Functional
academics and social behavior can be quite rudimentary, but good motivation
and work behavior as well as a certain degree of physical strength and agility
are a must.
Main task areas
Gathering wood for making charcoal
•
assists in chopping down trees
•
cuts wood into pieces using a cutlass
•
carries bundled wood to the charcoal pit
Preparing a trench and stacking wood
•
digs a shallow trench or pit using a pick axe and a shovel
•
heaps the soil nearby
•
arranges the wood so that the larger pieces are at the bottom and the
smaller pieces are stacked above
Setting fire and burning the charcoal
•
covers the stacked wood with some leaves
•
covers with soil leaving a small portion open
•
sets fire through the opening and recovers that portion with soil
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•
leaves it to slowly burn for at least two weeks until the wood is charred
and turned into charcoal
•
visits the site regularly and checks for breaks in the mound that must
be refilled with soil
•
fetches water from a nearby stream or river to put out the fire
Collecting and preparing the charcoal for sale in sacks
•
sorts the charcoal pieces by size
•
puts the big charcoal pieces into jute or fertilizer bags first, followed by
smaller ones
•
finally places big charcoal pieces on top of the small ones to fill the
sack to the brim
Take home share
Depend on local prices for charcoal and the amount sold, but a charcoal
burner’s helper may earn up to ¢200,000 per month.
Cutlass, shovel, axe, pick axe with investments of about 150 000 Cedis at
present prices.
Risk of injuries
The person can be burnt and hurt himself with a cutlass when cutting wood.
Safety measures
No specific measures are necessary except training in working with fire and
handling sharp objects.
Gender factors
It is possible for both sexes to do this job.
Seasonality
Charcoal is made all year round.
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5.3.5.
Firewood splitter’s assistant
Uses an axe and a chisel to cut wood into chunks of equal size for sale or for
fueling an oven for example for palm oil production.
Main activities
•
carrying logs and tools to the workplace
•
splitting logs into firewood
•
stacking or bagging firewood for sale or use
Prerequisite skills
The main consideration for the selection of persons that could be trained for
this job is a high degree of physical strength and agility and good safety
awareness. Social competence and self help skills can be reduced and
functional academics minimal. As the person will mostly be working on its
own, he must demonstrate good motivation and work behavior.
Main task areas
Carrying logs and tools to the workplace
•
carries logs to the workplace and stacks them
•
sets up a log for use as splitting block
•
places axe, hammer and chisel within reach
Splitting logs into firewood
•
places the log on the splitting block
•
places the chisel on the top of the wood
•
hits the chisel firmly with a hammer so that the wood splits
•
pulls the wood apart with his hands if it is not completely split
•
continues until all the logs are split
Stacking or bagging firewood for sale or use
•
stacks the firewood
•
fills bags with firewood
•
ties the bags shut with a piece of string
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Take home share
Depend on the amount of firewood sold but the person can earn about 100
000 Cedis a month.
An axe, a hammer and chisel with investments slightly above 100 000 Cedis
at present prices.
Risk of injuries
The person can cut himself with the axe or be hit by the hammer or chisel
and hurt by flying bits of wood.
Safety precautions
This is a high risk job that should only be entrusted to a person who is careful
and can concentrate on his work.
Gender factors
Customarily and due to the need for physical strength this job is performed
by men.
Seasonality
This is an all year occupation.
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5.3.6.
Salt mining assistant
Helps in gathering salt, loading it on vehicles, bagging it and selling the
finished product.
Main activities
•
gathering salt and transporting it ashore
•
bagging the salt
•
loading and selling the finished product
Prerequisite skills
limited as the salt mining assistant does not deal with the public. He needs to
be able to use needle and thread to sew close the bags but needs few
orientation and travel skills as he works at the same site. Functional
academics can be limited except for sorting skills, and social behavior can be
quite rudimentary. However, good motivation and work behavior, as well as a
certain degree of physical strength and agility (bags of 25 kg must be lifted
and carried) are a must.
Main task areas
Gathering salt and transporting it ashore
•
uses a hoe to dig up the salt
•
shovels the salt into a pan
•
loads a push cart with salt
•
pushes the cart to the shore
•
heaps the salt on an even space
•
covers it with a tarpaulin in case it rains
Bagging the salt
•
holds the top of the bag open for filling
•
uses a shovel to fill the bag nearly up to the top
•
sews bags shut using needle and strong thread
•
carries the bags to a truck
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Loading and selling the finished transport
•
loads a truck with sorted and weighed bags of coarse and fine granules
•
accompanies the driver to the point of sale
•
helps in unloading and selling the salt
Take home share
A fifty kilo bag can sell up to 20 000 cedis depending on the season and the
scarcity. Depending on the person’s usefulness a helper could get up to 200
000 cedis a month.
The helper needs a shovel, a hoe and a head pan with investments around
Risk of injuries
As bags can weigh up to 50 kg, the person must be strong enough to carry
such heavy loads.
Safety measures
Gender factors
Customarily, this is a job for men but there is no reason why a woman could
not do this.
Seasonality
Salt is mainly mined in the dry season.
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5.3.7.
Vulcanizer’s assistant
Services car tires of all sizes, types and makes.
Main activities
•
loosening tires
•
mending the inner tube
•
remounting the tires
Prerequisite skills
Clients do not expect much cleanliness (self help skills) from the helper.
However, he must be able to communicate and be able to function in a group
(social competence, social behavior). Functional academics can be minimal
and the person needs almost no orientation or travel skills as he always
works at the same place. He does, however, need some safety awareness
regarding traffic hazards. A high degree of physical strength and agility is
necessary, as well as well as good motivation and work behavior.
Main task areas
Loosening tires
•
removes the wheel cap
•
loosens the nuts on the tire bolts
•
jacks the car to raise the tire
•
removes the tire from the vehicle
Mending the inner tube
•
removes the tire from the rim
•
removes the inner tube if there is any
•
inflates the inner tube with a hand pump
•
immerses the inner tube into water to recognize the puncture by air
bubbles
•
marks the puncture
•
scrapes the damaged part with sandpaper
•
applies glue and allows to dry
•
peels off cold patch and fixes it to the damaged part
•
tests the inner tube by inflating it and dipping it in water again
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Remounting the tires
•
replaces the inner tube into the tire
•
fixes the tire around the rim
•
inflates the tire
•
remounts the tire and screws the bolts tightly on the nut
•
lowers the car by cranking the jack handle
•
removes the jack and the wedges or stones used to prevent the car
from rolling
Take home share
An assistant can earn up to ¢200,000 a month.
Spanners, screw-drivers, tire iron, foot pump and jack with an investment of
about 400 000 Cedis at present prices
Risk of injuries
Are relatively high, as the jack can slip, and removing the tire from the rim
also can be dangerous.
Safety measures
The person must learn to be cautious when jacking up a car by placing it
carefully and to use a tire iron safely when removing the tire from the rim.
Gender factors
Vulcanizing is a male dominated activity.
Seasonality
This job can be practiced all year round.
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5.4.
CRAFTS INVOLVING LIGHT PHYSICAL
LABOUR
MAT WEAVRER’S HELPER
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5.4.1.
Batik maker’s assistant
Helps in coloring local fabrics using wax and dye according to the master’s
design.
Main activities
•
helping to buy and prepare materials
•
assisting in applying wax according to the design
•
dyeing and drying fabric according to instructions
•
folding, ironing and storing the fabric for sale
•
keeping the workshop clean
Prerequisite skills
A batik maker’s assistant needs to be relatively clean (self care skills) and
have a neat appearance. If she has dealings with customers, she must show
some social competence such as in communicating and greeting and good
social behavior. She needs to be able to handle fire for boiling the wax
(safety awareness) and to find and walk to familiar places such as the point
of sale and the market. Functional academics, except for the use of a
measuring bowl, or if dealing with customers, making change, is of slight
importance. A medium degree of physical strength and agility and good
motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Helping to buy and prepare materials
•
accompanies the Madam to buy the needed materials
•
carries the fabric and dye to the workplace
•
spreads the fabric on the surface of a table and uses pins to fasten it to
the table
Assisting in applying wax according to the design
•
lights a kerosene stove or a small fire
•
melts wax in a container
•
uses a stick or a brush to spread the hot wax on the fabric following
instructions
•
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spreads or hangs up the fabric to dry in the shade
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Dyeing and drying fabric according to instructions
•
helps in mixing color in a can
•
folds fabric following instructions and design and dips it into the
mixture for a few minutes
•
wearing a glove removes the fabric from the mixture to dry in the
shade
•
dewaxes when fabric is dried by boiling in a container
•
applies the same procedure for additional colors following instructions
Folding, ironing and storing the fabric for sale
•
irons and folds the fabric when dyeing is completed
•
helps store the fabric for sale
Keeping the workshop clean
•
arranges after work all tools and materials in their proper places
•
sweeps the workplace
•
removes spilled wax and dye
•
collects pins
•
gathers rubbish and brings it to the dump
Take home share
The assistant earns about 5 000 Cedis a day or 150 000 Cedis a month
depending on the amount of fabric sold.
A table, some containers, design tampons. The assisstant is not expected to
buy these objects but only needs a pair of rubber gloves and an apron with
investments at less than 70 000 Cedis.
Risk of injuries
Consists of being burnt by fire or pouring hot wax on oneself.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed except training to deal carefully with
fire and in pouring the hot mixture and wearing rubber gloves working with
dye.
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Gender factors
Both sexes can be trained to do this job.
Seasonality
Batik cloth can be dyed all year.
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5.4.2.
Bead maker’s helper
Assists in making beads out of clay and broken bottles and moulding them in
different sizes, colours and shapes.
Main activities
•
fetching and preparing clay
•
fetching and pounding of bottles
•
colouring and baking the beads
•
stringing and preparing the beads for sale
Prerequisite skills
As the helper will not be in contact with the public, only a limited amount of
cleanliness as well as communication skills are necessary (social competence,
self help skills). Functional academics can be minimal, but orientation and
travel skills must be so developed that the person can find his way from
digging clay or fetching bottles. Since the person works near an oven, he
must be aware of fire hazards. A certain degree of physical strength and
agility is necessary, as well as well as good motivation and work behaviour.
Main task areas
Fetching and preparing clay
•
goes to the site where clay is found
•
uses spade, pick axe or Indian hoe to dig the clay
•
places the clay with a shovel into a container and carries it to the work
place
•
pounds the clay in a mortar until it becomes very fine and sticky
•
mixes the clay with water into a paste
•
cleans working implements after use
Fetching and pounding of bottles
•
collects or buys empty bottles of different colors
•
pounds the bottles with a stone mortar and pestle and grinds them
with a grinding stone until they become a smooth powder
•
sieves the glass shards from the powder
Colouring and baking the beads
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•
takes some of the clay mix with the ground bottle powder and forms
them into the desired shape of the beads
•
creates a hole in the middle of each lump by inserting a straw
•
lets the beads dry for a while
•
sets fire in an oven at a temperature of 850 Celsius
•
bakes the beads until they are hardened and removes them from the
oven to cool
Stringing and preparing the beads for sale
•
strings the beads following a desired pattern
•
uses different lengths of string for a necklace, anklets and bracelets
•
packs the beads into boxes according to weight and size and arranges
them ready for sale
Take home share
A helper in this vocation earns ¢100,000 to ¢ 200,000 a month.
Pick axe, hoe, spade/shovel, mortar and pestle costing about 200 000 Cedis
at present prices.
Risk of injuries
The bead maker’s helper can be hurt by glass splinters while pounding bottles
and burnt when removing beads from the oven.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be trained to deal with fire safely and to be careful when
pounding bottles. Gloves should be worn when removing the beads from the
oven.
Burn
ointment
as
well
a
first
aid
Gender factors
Bead making is suitable for both men and women.
Seasonality
Bead making is an all year round work.
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kit
should
be
available.
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5.4.3.
Body pomade maker’s helper
Assists in preparing local body cream using a raw jelly, colorant and oil.
Main activities
•
buying ingredients
•
preparation of the pomade
•
filling of pomade into small containers
Prerequisite skills
A body pomade maker’s helper needs to be clean (self care skills) and have a
neat appearance. If she has dealings with customers, she needs some social
competence such as in communicating and greeting and good social behavior.
She needs to be able to handle fire (safety awareness) and to find and walk
to familiar places such as the point of sale and the market. Functional
academics are not necessary, except for the use of a measuring bowl. If
dealing with customers, making change is of importance. A medium degree of
physical strength and agility and good motivation and work behavior are
essential.
Main task areas
Buying ingredients
•
follows instructions to go to the market with a list
•
buys the necessary materials for the preparation of the pomade (jelly,
oil, scent, colors, containers, rubber bags)
Preparation of the pomade
•
divides the jelly into different jars according to the number of colors to
be used.
•
sets a fire and puts oil on the fire in a pan
•
adds the jelly in the required quantity (more oil leads to softer
pomade)
•
lets the jelly melt in the oil
•
adds the color and stirs to get the desired thickness (for white pomade,
there is no need to add any color)
•
removes the pan from the fire
•
adds drops of scent to give the pomade a good smell
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Filling of pomade into small containers
•
While the mixture is still liquid pours it into small pomade containers
•
cuts small triangles of plastic to sell the rest in small quantities
•
pours what remains over from filling the pomade containers into plastic
triangles for sale
•
carries pomade containers to the market for sale
Spoon, ladle, saucepans, coal pot with necessary investments around 100
000 Cedis at present prices without the cost of raw materials.
Take home share
Depend on the amount of pomade sold but can be 200 000 Cedis a month.
Risk of injuries
Consists of being burnt by fire or pouring hot oil on oneself.
Safety measures
fire and in pouring the hot mixture.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Body pomade can be manufactured all year.
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5.4.4.
Book binding assistant
Helps to bind books and bundle them at a printing press.
Main activities
•
sorting and arranging materials
•
cutting book covers and binding or stapling papers
•
packing and storing books in cartons and shelves and keeping the
workshop clean
.
Prerequisite skills
A medium level of social competence and self help skills is desirable, as the
person will need to deal with the public. As he will be working with others, he
needs to be able to function in a group (social behavior) and needs good
motivation and work behavior. As for safety awareness dealing with sharp
objects is essential and he needs to be able to find familiar environments
(orientation and travel skills). The helper should be able to count up to 20
and sort objects according to size (functional academics). Not a great amount
of physical strength and agility is needed; however, fine motor skills must be
developed.
Main task areas
Sorting and arranging materials
•
receives and sorts unbound materials
•
opens cartons
•
uses knife, scissors and blade to take off wrappers and cut cello tape
•
stacks paper in bundles for the bookbinder to use
Cutting book covers and binding or stapling papers
•
cuts cardboard to make book covers with a knife along a ruler or a
guillotine
•
glues or staples paper that has been sorted and arranged by the
bookbinder
•
glues paper on covers for decoration
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Packing and storing books in cartons and shelves
•
packages books into cartons
•
orders them into shelves
•
fetches them and brings them to the owners when needed
Take home share
Depend on the amount binding done but can go up to 200 000 Cedis a
month.
Paper cutter, scissors, knife, guillotine, a ruler, pen and pencil, pliers with
investments up to 400 000 Cedis.
Risk of injuries
Consist of being cut by a knife or scissors but are quite low.
Safety measures
sharp tools.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Book binding is an all year occupation.
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5.4.5.
Broom maker’s helper
The broom makers’ assistant helps to produce brooms for sale.
Main activities
•
collecting palm fronds
•
preparing the material for binding
•
shaping and tying the brooms and transporting them to the point of
sale
Prerequisite skills
self help skills). Functional academics can be minimal but orientation and
travel skills must so developed that the person can find his way to look for
palm trees from which to cut branches as well as finding his way home. as to
awareness of safety hazards, the person must be able to work with sharp
tools; and since he will fetch palm fronds from the bush, he must be mindful
of snakes and other harmful animals. A certain degree of physical strength
and agility is necessary, as well as well as good motivation and work
behaviour.
Main task areas
Collecting palm fronds
•
goes to the bush to look for mature palm trees
•
uses a cutlass to cut off some (but not all) of the branches
•
bundles the branches and carries them to the workplace
Preparing the material for binding
•
removes the leaves from the main stem
•
scrapes off the leaves with a razor blade or a knife to get the thin risps
(broom sticks)
•
cuts the brooms sticks to equal size
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Shaping and tying the brooms and transporting them to the point of sale
•
selects a quantity of brooms sticks sufficient to make a sweeping
broom
•
cuts a length of string or rag sufficiently long to wrap around the base
of the broom
•
ties the broom sticks together and makes a knot to fasten
•
bundles the finished brooms so that they can be carried
•
brings them to the point of sale
Take home share
A broom maker’s helper could earn 50 000 to 80 000 Cedis monthly
depending on the sales.
Risk of injuries
The only risk in this activity is working with sharp objects and possibly being
bitten by snakes while searching for palm trees in the bush.
Safety measures
The helper must be trained to handle a knife or razor blade carefully and to
be careful of wild animals.
Gender factors
Brooms can be manufactured by male or female helpers.
Seasonality
Brooms are made and sold throughout the year.
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5.4.6.
Calabash maker’s helper
Helps make calabashes out of gourds and prepare them for sale.
Main activities
•
collecting gourds
•
cutting and scooping out the flesh
•
cleaning and polishing the calabash
•
keeping the work area clean
Prerequisite skills
Self Care Skills can be limited as the person will not interact much with the
public. However, a certain level of social competence in communication as
well as tolerance of criticism is necessary. Functional academics can be
minimal; however, the person needs a level of travel and orientation skills to
find the way home from collecting calabashes. Motivation and work behavior
must be developed and the person must be able to work with sharp objects
(safety awareness).No great amount of physical strength and agility is
needed, but the person needs the fine motor skills in order to paint and
decorate the calabashes.
Main task areas
Collecting gourds
•
looks for gourd trees in the neighborhood
•
plucks the mature gourds
•
brings them home
Cutting and scooping out the flesh
•
cuts the gourd into two using a knife or a saw
•
scoops out the flesh and seeds from the calabashes with a spoon
•
scrapes the inside neatly with a knife so no flesh or seeds remain
Cleaning and polishing the calabash
•
fetches lemons from the market or from a tree
•
washes the calabashes with water and clean sand
•
rinses the calabashes
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•
squeezes the lemon into them and distributes the juice evenly on the
surface
•
dries the calabashes
Keeping the work area clean
•
collects broken and unwanted calabash pieces
•
sweeps the ground around the work area
•
collects the rubbish in a bin and brings it to the refuse dump
Take home share
The helper can earn up to 8000 Cedis a day and about ¢200,000 a month.
A hack saw, a knife, a cutlass, a spoon for scooping with investments not
over 120 000 Cedis at present prices.
Job risks
The helper can hurt himself with the saw or knife, so he must be trained to
use them safely.
Safety measures
Supervision is necessary in the beginning to make sure that the helper learns
to cut the calabash in half properly.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Calabash making is only possible when the gourds are available.
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5.4.7.
Carver’s helper
Assists the master carver in making wood sculptures by taking simple tasks
off his hands.
Main activities
•
stacking wood and preparing the work site
•
sandpapering and polishing of carved sculptures
•
arranging and shelving finished products
•
Prerequisite skills
Self Care Skills can be limited, as the person will not interact much with the
public. However, a certain level of social competence in communication as
well as tolerance of criticism is a necessity. Functional academics can be
minimal, but the person needs to be able to sort objects as to size, weight
and color. Motivation and work behavior must be developed, and the person
must be able to work with sharp objects (Safety awareness). Some physical
strength and agility are necessary, as the person has to carry heavy wood
and needs to stay in the same position for some time while sanding and
polishing.
Main task areas
Stacking wood and preparing the work site
•
carries the raw wood from a lorry to the shop
•
arranges the wood on instruction as to size and quality
•
brings out and arranges tools and stools for carving
Sandpapering and polishing of carved sculptures
•
sandpapers the finished sculpture until the surface is smooth
•
wipes off the surface until no wood dust remains
•
spreads lacquer on the surface evenly with a brush
•
dries polished wood in the sun for about 20 minutes and takes it back
upon instruction
Arrangement and shelving of finished products
•
sorts the finished products from the unfinished ones
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•
arranges the finished wood objects on shelves
•
displays some of the sculptures in front of the shop and brings them
into the shop at night
Sweeping and cleaning of the workshop
•
sweeps and cleans the workshop after work
•
collects the rubbish into waste bin
•
brings the refuse to a dumping ground
•
dusts the finished products and the furniture in the shop
Chisel, hammer, axe, knife, hatchet, scissors, and a gouge which would
necessitate investments up to 400 000 Cedis at present prices if the helper is
engaged in the sculpting itself.
Take home share
The helper can earn between 200 000 and 300 000 Cedis per month. This
depends on the market demand for the products and how well they are sold.
Risk of injuries
Depend on the type of work done. Sanding and polishing are not risky but, if
the helper also shapes the wood, he can cut himself with an axe or an chisel.
Safety measures
The helper must be trained to deal with sharp objects. A first aid box should
be available.
Gender factors
This job is customarily performed by men, but there is no reason why a
woman could not also help in a carver’s workshop.
Seasonality
Wood carving is an all year round activity, although sales are more frequent
in the tourist season.
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5.4.8.
Chew stick maker’s assistant
Helps make chew sticks for cleaning teeth out of the wood of the charpia tree
Main activities
•
gathering and carrying wood from the forest to the house
•
cutting and splitting the wood into short pieces
•
bundling the sticks for sale
•
tidying the workplace
Prerequisite skills
self help skills). Functional academics can be minimal, but orientation and
travel skills must be developed in order to gather and transport the wood
from the forest. As the person will go out in the bush, he must be aware of
the dangers of wild animals and also be able to use sharp object safely. A
certain degree of physical strength and agility is necessary, as well as well as
good motivation and work behaviour.
Main task areas
Gathering and carrying wood from the forest to the house
•
bundles the pieces of wood that has been cut
•
ties them together for transporting
•
carries the pieces home
Cutting and splitting the wood into short pieces
•
cuts or saws the wood into pieces of about 4 inches length
•
places a knife or short cutlass on the length of this piece
•
hits the back of the knife with a piece of strong wood so that the
charpia wood splits
•
continues to split lengthwise until he has small pieces about one half
inch in diameter
Bundling the sticks for sale
•
groups the chewing sticks in bundles of ten
•
ties a string around each bundle
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•
places them in a basket or container for sale
Tidying the workplace
•
brings the wood back to the storage place
•
stores the cutlass or knife in its proper place
•
sweeps the floor and burns the rubbish
Take home share
The assistant is paid for the number of chew sticks he has manufactured and
can earn up to 100 000 Cedis a month.
Cutlass, knife and scissors with investments below 50 000 Cedis at present
prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can hurt himself with a cutlass or a knife.
Safety measures
The person must be trained to handle a knife and cutlass safely.
Gender factors
Making chew sticks is suitable for both men and women.
Seasonality
Chew sticks can be made during the whole year.
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5.4.9.
Door mat weaver’s helper
Assists in making doormats for sale using corn husks.
Main activities
•
gathering and sorting corn husks
•
preparing and dying the husks for weaving
•
cleaning the shop and its surroundings
Prerequisite skills
self help skills). Functional academics can be minimal, except for being able
to distinguish equal length. Orientation and travel skills must be developed so
that the person can go out to gather the husks. The person must be able to
work with hot water and to use sharp object safely (safety awareness). A
certain degree of physical strength and agility is necessary, as well as good
motivation and work behaviour.
Main task areas
Gathering and sorting corn husks
•
goes from house to house to collect the corn husks from neighbors
•
carries the husks home and sorts out the straight and unblemished
ones
•
separates the husks into individual leaves
•
places the leaves into a large bowl
Preparing and dyeing the husks for weaving
•
pours water on the leaves in the bowl to soften them
•
after some time removes and dries them on a clean surface
•
boils some water for mixing the color
•
adds salt and starch to the mixture for dyeing
•
soaks the leaves in the color mixture until they are completely dyed
•
removes leaves and dries them on a clean surface
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Cleaning the shop and its surroundings
•
sweeps the waste husks from the shop and its surroundings
•
stacks the woven mats in bundles
•
helps carry them to the market for sale
Take home share
The helper can earn around ¢100,000 each month, depending on the number
of mats sold.
If the helper is directly involved in weaving he needs scissors, pins, awl,
(bent needle) needles, thread, nails, board, knife with investments not over
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can hurt himself while placing or removing leaves in
the boiling coloring solution.
Safety measures
The person must be trained to handle knife, scissors and needles safely as
well as to deal with fire and boiling water.
Gender factors
Both sexes can weave doormats.
Seasonality
Door mats of varied materials are manufactured all year round.
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5.4.10.
Dressmaker’s helper
Hems, helps with alterations and irons both new and old dresses as well as
helps maintain the shop.
Main activities
•
undoing stitches and hemming and sewing precut clothing
•
ironing dresses
•
cleaning and oiling sewing machines
•
keeping the shop clean and going on errands
Prerequisite skills
A dressmaker’s assistant needs to be relatively clean (self care skills) and
have a neat appearance. If she has dealings with customers, she must show
some social competence such as in communicating and greeting and good
social behavior. She needs to be able to handle an electric or box iron and a
razor blade (safety awareness). She also needs to be able to find and walk to
familiar places, such as the market, when sent on errands (orientation and
travel). Functional academics except for the use of a measuring tape are of
slight importance as is physical strength and agility. On the other hand, good
Main task areas
Undoing stitches and hemming and sewing precut clothing
•
undoes the stitches on old dresses which need to be altered with a
razor blade
•
treads needles for the mistress and for herself
•
hems finished dresses for the mistress
•
stitches materials cut by the mistress by hand
Ironing dresses
•
plugs in the electric iron or puts and lights charcoal in box iron
•
regulates the heat according to the type of fabric
•
first irons the collar, then other parts, making sure to avoid wrinkles
•
puts dresses on hangers to avoid crumpling
•
makes sure the iron is switched off or box iron set on a safe surface
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Cleaning and oiling sewing machines
•
uses a dry duster to clean the machines each evening
•
picks up and removes pieces and threads of material
•
adds a small drop of machine oil on the screw areas as instructed
Keeping the shop clean and going on errands
•
sweeps the shop every morning and evening
•
removes cobwebs from the ceiling and walls
•
dusts the chairs and tables in the shop
•
weeds and sweeps around the shop when instructed
•
goes on errands to buy thread, needles and buttons
Take home share
A dressmaker’s helper could be paid about ¢5,000 per day so at the end of
the month, the assistant will receive about ¢150,000.
Scissors, thimble, needles, a razor blade with investments of less than 50
000 Cedis at present prices. If the assistant needs and uses a sewing
machine, investments of up to 500 000 Cedis will be necessary.
Risk of injuries
Consist of being burnt while ironing or pricking or cutting oneself while using
a needle or a razor blade.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed except training to be careful with an
iron and while sewing and undoing stitches.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Dresses are sewn all year round.
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5.4.11.
Envelope maker’s helper
Assists in making pharmaceutical and postal envelopes.
Main activities
•
assisting in buying and preparing materials
•
cutting, folding and gluing paper
•
sorting and storing envelopes for sale and keeping the workshop clean
Prerequisite skills
A medium level of social competence and self help skills is desirable as the
person will need to deal with the public. As he will be working with others he
motivation and work behavior. As for safety awareness, dealing with sharp
objects is essential and he needs to be able to find familiar environments
(orientation and travel skills). The helper should be able to count up to 20
and sort objects according to size (functional academics). Not a great amount
of physical strength agility is needed; however, fine motor skills must be
developed.
Main task areas
Assisting in buying and preparing materials
•
goes to the market with the master to buy the necessary materials for
the envelopes
•
carries the materials to the workshop
•
gets the workshop ready for the day by arranging tools and material
Cutting, folding and gluing paper
•
uses a cardboard form to cut the papers to the correct size for an
envelope
•
folds the paper as directed by the master along lines to arrive at the
right shape
•
applies glue at the edges to stick the flaps together
Sorting and storing envelopes for sale and keeping the workshop clean
•
sorts envelopes according to size and color
•
bundles them in groups of 10 or 20 and puts bands around them
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•
stacks the envelopes into boxes
•
picks up the litter, sweeps the floor
•
washes the glue brushes with water
•
brings the rubbish to the refuse bin
Take home share
Depend on the amount of envelopes sold but can go up to 200 000 Cedis a
month.
Paper cutter, scissors, knife, guillotine, a ruler, pen and pencil, and a glue
brush with investments up to 400 000 Cedis.
Risk of injuries
Consist of being cut by a knife or scissors but are quite low.
Safety measures
sharp tools.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Envelope making is an all year occupation.
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5.4.12.
Leather bag maker’s helper
Assists in curing hides and in cutting, sewing and gluing of leather bags
Main activities
•
fetching necessary materials for fabrication
•
curing hides and dyeing leather
•
cutting leather by using a cardboard pattern
•
gluing and sewing leather into bags
Prerequisite skills
travel skills must be so developed that the person can go on errands. The
person must be able to deal with chemicals (saltpetre) and to use sharp
object safely (safety awareness). A certain degree of physical strength and
agility is necessary, as well as well as good motivation and work behaviour.
Main task areas
Fetching necessary materials for fabrication
•
goes to the market to purchase animal hides
•
carries or transports them to the shop
•
goes on errands to buy needles, thread, glue etc.
Curing hides and dyeing leather
•
fetches water in a basin
•
soaks skin for three days in water and saltpeter solution
•
removes skin and scrapes hairs off with a blunt knife or a sharp stone
•
dyes leather by soaking it into a dye mixture
•
dries leather and kneads it so it remains smooth
Cutting leather using a cardboard pattern
•
helps the master in the cutting of the hide into the desired shape by
holding it in place for cutting
•
cuts along the outline of the cardboard shape provided using a pair of
scissors
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•
cuts leather in fine strips for sewing
Gluing and sewing leather into bags
•
scrapes the portion that will be glued and applies glue
•
glues parts together as directed by the master
•
punches holes into the leather with an awl or pins for sewing
•
sews pieces of leather together
Take home share
The helper can earn between ¢100,000 to ¢200,000 each month.
A pair of scissors, a knife, needles and a flat hard board with investments
around 20 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can hurt himself while cutting or stitching. In
addition, saltpeter and super glue need to be handled with care.
Safety measures
The person must be trained to handle knife, scissors and needles safely.
Gender factors
Bag making is customary for men, but there is no reason why women could
not work in this trade.
Seasonality
Leather bags can be manufactured all year round.
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5.4.13.
Mat weaver’s helper
Assists in weaving mats made of raffia (keti).
Main activities
•
cutting and gathering of raffia
•
preparing and dyeing the raffia for weaving
•
preparing the frame and weaving
Prerequisite skills
self help skills). Functional academics can be minimal, except for being able
to distinguish equal length. Orientation and travel skills must be developed so
that the person can go out to gather the raffia. The person must be able to
work with hot water and to use sharp object safely (safety awareness). A
certain degree of physical strength and agility is necessary, as well as good
Main task areas
Cutting and gathering of raffia
•
distinguishes between raffia and other grasses
•
wades into the water and uses a sharp knife to cut the raffia at a low
point
•
bundles the cut raffia and brings it to the shore
•
ties the raffia with a string and carries it home
Preparing and dyeing the raffia for weaving
•
sets a fire and fetches water
•
boils water and adds color solution using a measuring cup
•
adds salt and starch to the mixture for dyeing
•
soaks the raffia in the color mixture for about 15 minutes
•
removes raffia and dries it on a clean surface
Preparing the frame and weaving
•
sets up the rectangular frame (6 by 4 feet) with 16 equidistant nails at
the top and bottom crossbar
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•
ties string between the bottom and top frame nails
•
pass three or four lengths of raffia through the strings so that they will
appear on the front and back
•
passes colored raffia through the mat at given distances to make a
pattern
•
after weaving half way turns the frame upside down and continues
•
joins the strands of raffia together by pressing and trims the edges
with a sharp knife
•
ties the bottom and top strands tightly
Take home share
The helper can earn up to ¢200,000 each month, depending on the number
of mats sold.
Knife, frame, stool, colors with expenses not exceeding 100 000 cedis.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can hurt himself while placing or removing raffia in
the boiling coloring solution and wading in the water can lead to disease if it
is contaminated.
Safety measures
The person must be trained to handle knife, scissors safely as well as to deal
with fire and boiling water. Use Wellington boots to wade in the water.
Gender factors
Both sexes can weave mats.
Seasonality
Mats are mostly woven in the dry season.
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5.4.14.
Paper flower maker’s helper
Assists in making flowers out of paper for decoration.
Main activities
•
helping buy the required types of paper and coloring it
•
cutting, papers into the required shapes and sizes, binding and gluing
them into a flower
Prerequisite skills
A medium level of social competence and self help skills is desirable, as the
person will need to deal with the public. As he will be working with others, he
motivation and work behavior. As for safety awareness, dealing with sharp
objects is essential, and he needs to be able to find familiar environments
(orientation and travel skills). Not a great amount of physical strength agility
is needed; however, fine motor skills must be developed.
Main task areas
Helping buy the required types of paper and coloring it
•
goes on instruction to the nearest stationery shop or store to buy the
required papers and colors
•
brings the papers and colors home
•
colors them as instructed
•
allows the colored paper to dry in the shade
Cutting papers into the required shapes and sizes, binding and gluing
them into a flower
•
cuts the papers into the desired shapes
•
glues paper shapes together to form flowers
•
binds them together with string or wire
A pair of scissors, a knife, paintbrush, needle, paper cutter. Some of these
will be furnished by the master so personal investments will not be above 50
000 Cedis at present prices.
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Take home share
Depend on the amount of flowers sold but can go up to 200 000 Cedis a
month.
Risk of injuries
Consist of being cut by scissors or stuck with a needle but are quite low.
Safety measures
scissors.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Paper flowers can be manufactured all year.
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5.4.15.
Polythene bag maker’s helper
Assists in sorting and distributing bags as well as keeping the shop clean.
Main activities
•
sorting and packaging the bags
•
Prerequisite skills
If the person is in contact with customers, he must be to be relatively clean
(self care skills) and have a neat appearance as well as show some social
competence in communicating and greeting. The person needs to be able to
work around machines (safety awareness) and to find and walk to familiar
places such as the market when sent on errands (orientation and travel).
Functional academics in counting up to 10 and distinguishing colors are
necessary. No particular physical strength and agility are needed, but good
Main task areas
Sorting and packaging the bags
•
sorts the polythene bags into different groups according to size and
color
•
counts 10 bags for packaging
•
binds them in bundles with a string
•
packs them into cartons
•
distributes the cartons and bags to clients as instructed
•
•
•
•
removes spoilt polythene bags
•
carries the refuse to the rubbish dump
•
•
goes on errands when asked
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Take home share
A polythene bag maker’s helper could be paid about ¢5,000 per day so at the
end of the month, the assistant will receive about ¢150,000.
Scissors or a razor blade for cutting the string which cost between 1 000 and
Risk of injuries
Are low, if the person is careful working around the machines (cutting
machine).
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed except training to be careful around
the machines.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Polythene bags are produced all year round.
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5.4.16.
Pure water bag packer
Assists in opening the plastic sacks in which pure water bags are packed well
as keeping the shop clean
Main activities
•
opening the big plastic sack in which the pure water bags are packed
•
stacking the sacks of pure water on the ground and lifting them into a
truck
•
Prerequisite skills
If the person is in contact with customers he must be relatively clean (self
care skills) and have a neat appearance, as well as show some social
competence in communicating and greeting. The person needs to be able to
work around machines (safety awareness). In addition he must be able to
find and walk to familiar places such as the market when sent on errands
(orientation and travel). Functional academics in counting up to 25 is
necessary. As pure water bags weigh around 25 kg, some physical strength
and agility are needed. The person needs to be able to work in a group and
good motivation and work behavior is essential.
Main task areas
Opening the big plastic sack in which the pure water bags are packed
•
holds the open end of the plastic sack between the thumb and
forefinger of each hand
•
shakes the bag and blows air into it until it unfolds
•
brings the opened bags into the pure water production room for filling
Stacking the sacks of pure water on the ground or lifting them into a truck
•
carries the sacks to the storage area and stacks them carefully
•
lays each bag on the side and stacks only about 5 bags on each other
so they cannot burst
•
carries the bags from the storage area and lifts them on the back of the
truck
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•
•
•
removes spoilt bags
•
carries the refuse to the rubbish dump
•
•
goes on errands when asked
Take home share
A pure water bag packer could be paid about ¢5,000 per day so at the end of
No equipment or investments are necessary.
Risk of injuries
Are low if the person is careful in lifting and carrying so he does not strain his
back.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed except training to in how to lift
without back strain.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Pure water is produced and bagged all year round.
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5.4.17.
Rope maker’s assistant
Helps make ropes out of the fibre of jute and raffia plants.
Main activities
•
gathering and preparing fibre
•
twisting ropes
•
dyeing ropes and preparing them for sale
Prerequisite skills
travel skills must be so developed that he can gather fibre plants. As the
person will go out in the bush, he must be aware of the dangers of wild
animals. He also must be able to use sharp object safely. A certain degree of
physical strength and agility is necessary as well as good motivation and
work behaviour.
Main task areas
Gathering and preparing fibre
•
goes to the bush or farm
•
cuts down mature fibre plants and branches or stalks with cutlass
•
gathers the cut fibre stalks and branches to tie them together for
transporting
•
carries them to a water source
•
soaks them in the water for about five days to make them soft
•
cleans jute or kanaf fibre by rubbing the fibre and removes the hard
and rough parts of the fibre
•
rinses the clean jute or kanaf fibre in water
•
splits raffia to the desired thickness for twisting into ropes
•
dries cleaned fibre and bundles it for storage and use
Twisting ropes
•
sprinkles a little water on the fibre to prevent it from breaking
•
grasps a small quantity of fibre depending on the thickness of the rope
to be made
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•
twists the fibre between fingers and thumb
•
winds the twisted fibre around a firmly fixed strong stick to prevent it
from unwinding
•
joins fibres bit by bit so that the joint area will be of the same
thickness as the rest of the twisted fibre
•
fixes two poles firmly in the ground at a distance of his choice
•
ties one end of the twisted fibre to one of the poles and connects it
with the other pole
•
twists additional fibre firmly along the first fibre
•
adds fibre until he obtains the desired thickness of the rope
•
ties knots in the rope end and cuts them with a knife
Dyeing ropes and preparing them for sale
•
measures a given quantity of water and dye in a deep container and
mixes it thoroughly
•
dips the ropes in the dye until they have taken the colour completely
•
removes the ropes from dye and dries them
•
sorts ropes according to colour, thickness and length
Take home share
One locally made rope costs from 1 000 Cedis to about 2 000 Cedis
depending on the length and thickness as well as the colour and durability of
the rope.
Cutlass, knife and scissors with investments below 50 000 Cedis at present
prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can hurt himself with a cutlass or a knife.
Safety measures
The person must be trained to handle a knife and cutlass safely.
Gender factors
Rope making is suitable for both men and women.
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Seasonality
Rope making is an all year round work.
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5.4.18.
Shea butter extractor’s helper
The shea-butter extractor’s helper assists in preparing shea-butter out of
shea-nuts.
Main activities
•
collecting shea nuts
•
pounding and roasting the nuts
•
carrying the nuts to the mill
•
mixing and whipping the paste
•
removing the butter and preparing it for sale
Prerequisite skills
Even though the job has to do with cosmetics preparation, only limited
cleanliness is needed (self help skills). Social competence as well as
functional academics can be minimal, as the assistant will as a rule not deal
with the public. However, she needs a level of travel and orientation skills to
find the way home from the mill or collecting shea nuts. Motivation and work
behavior must be developed, and she must be able to work with fire and hot
water (safety awareness). No great amount of physical strength and agility is
needed.
Main task areas
Collecting shea nuts
•
goes round to the shea-trees in the vicinity
•
collects the shea-nuts from under the tress
•
carries them home in a basket
Pounding and roasting the nuts
•
uses a mortar and pestle or a stone to pound the nuts into a paste
•
sets a fire and roasts the pounded nuts in a pot
Carrying the nuts to the mill
•
waits for the roasted nuts to cool
•
puts them in a basin
•
carries the roasted nuts to the mill
•
grinds it into flour
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•
brings the flour home
Mixing and whipping the paste
•
adds water in a bucket
•
mixes the flour into a paste
•
whips and kneads the paste until it foams
•
adds more water
•
collects the foam from the paste into a bowl or pot
Removing the shea butter and preparing it for sale
•
starts fire under the pot
•
boils the collected foam
•
scoops the oil waste water away
•
stores in a cool wet place to harden or coagulate
•
stores the shea butter in a calabash
•
takes it to the market for sale
Take home share
May earn about ¢200,000 a month.
Mortar, pestle, whisk, basket/colander, basin, ladle and iron pot with
investments of about 500 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
The helper can be burnt by hot water or oil and can hurt himself while
cracking the nuts.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be trained to deal with fire safely and to be careful when
cracking the nuts. Gloves should be worn when removing the pot from the
fire.
Burn
ointment
and
a
first
aid
kit
should
be
available.
Gender factors
This job is customary for women but can also be performed by men.
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Seasonality
Preparing shea butter is a seasonal occupation.
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5.4.19.
Soap maker’s helper
Assists in preparing local soap made of palm oil and ash.
Main activities
•
preparing the ingredients
•
preparing the soap
•
cleaning the site and marketing the finished product
Prerequisite skills
A soap maker’s helper needs to be clean (self care skills) and have a neat
appearance. If she has dealings with customers, she needs some social
competence such as in communicating and greeting and good social behavior.
She needs to be able to handle fire (safety awareness) and to find and walk
to familiar places such as the point of sale and the market. Functional
academics are not necessary, except for the use of a measuring bottle. If
dealing with customers, making change is of importance. A medium degree of
physical strength and agility and good motivation and work behavior are
essential.
Main task areas
Preparing the ingredients
•
prepares soda by burning dried cocoa pods and plantain peels until
they turn to ashes
•
pours about 5 liters of water on the ash in a big bowl and stirs until
well mixed
•
strains the ash solution into another bowl with a strainer to serve as
soda
Preparing the soap
•
sets a fire
•
pours twelve beer bottles of palm oil in a big pot and allows it to boil
•
pours three beer bottles of soda water into the boiling oil
•
consistently stirs the mixture until it becomes almost solid
•
removes the pot from the fire
•
pours the contents into a bowl to allow it to cool
•
molds the soap mixture into orange size balls
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Cleaning the site and marketing the finished product
•
washes and scrubs the cooking utensils
•
sweeps the site and throws away trash
•
carries soap in a basin to the market and assists in selling
For manufacturing local soap two big aluminum bowls, two baskets a
strainer, wooden ladles are needed with a cost of about 600 000,- cedis at
present prices. However the assistant would only need a basket for carrying
the soap and a rag for handling the pots.
Take home share
Depends on the amount of soap sold but could be up to 250 000, - cedis a
month.
Risk of injuries
Consists of being burnt by fire or pouring hot oil or soap on oneself.
Safety measures
fire and in pouring the hot mixture.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Local soap can be manufactured all year round.
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5.4.20.
Thatch weaver’s helper
Collects and uses straw to weave roofing mats.
Main activities
•
cutting and collecting grass for weaving
•
using dried straw to weave roofing mats
•
preparing the mats for sale
Prerequisite skills
As cutting straw and mat weaving is a more or less solitary occupation there
is not great need for advanced social competence or a very clean and neat
appearance (self care skills). However, since the person handles sharp knives
and cutlass and can encounter dangerous animals in the bush, safety
awareness is a prerequisite. Orientation and travel skills are necessary for
these excursions. Functional academics are not important in this job and
social behavior can be rudimentary but physical strength and agility as well
as good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Cutting and collecting grass for weaving
•
sharpens a cutlass or a sickle
•
goes to the bush in the environment to cut suitable grass
•
bundles the grass and carries it home
Using dried straw to weave roofing mats
•
dries the grass to turn it into roofing straw
•
weaves the straw into roofing mats
•
knots the end of the weaving
Preparing the mats for sale
•
rolls the mats into bundles
•
cleans the area intermittently and after work
•
carries the bundles to the market for sale
Take home share
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Depending on the number of buyers, a thatch weaver’s helper can make
Cutlass and sickle with investments below 50 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can hurt himself with a cutlass or a knife or step on a
scorpion or a snake.
Safety measures
The person must be trained to handle a knife and cutlass safely and be
attentive when gatherings grass in the bush.
Gender factors
Both males and females can perform this job.
Seasonality
Collecting grass is usually done in the first half of the rainy seasons.
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5.4.21.
Yarn spinning assistant
Helps spin ropes for kente weaving.
Main activities
•
arranging tools and material for spinning
•
opening the yarn package for placing the hanks
•
operating the spinning wheel
•
•
going on errands
Prerequisite skills
As the helper does not have much contact with the public, only a limited
amount of cleanliness as well as communication skills are necessary (social
competence, self help skills). Functional academics can be minimal, but social
skills must be developed so that the person can work in a group. Orientation
and travel skills must be developed so that the person can go to the market
to buy yarn without getting lost. No specific safety skills are needed, but the
person should be able to use sharp objects safely. If he is sent on errands,
the assistant needs orientation and travel skills. A relatively low degree of
physical strength and agility is necessary, as well but the person needs good
Main task areas
Arranging tools and material for spinning
•
mounts the spinning wheel
•
places the spindle in the hole of the bobbin
•
tightens the framework
Opening the yarn package for placing the hanks
•
opens the yarn package
•
places the hank of the yarn around the skein winder
•
cuts the strings attached to each end of the yarn
Operating the spinning wheel
•
places one end of the yarn on the bobbin
•
holds bobbin and string steady
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•
rotates the handle of the spinning wheel
•
removes the bobbin when all the yarn has been wound on it
Sweeping and cleaning the workshop
•
brings and stores all implements for weaving such as spinning wheel,
yarn etc. when asked
•
sweeps the floor and burns the rubbish
•
weeds around the workshop, when necessary
Going on errands
•
goes to market to buy yarn as instructed
•
delivers kente cloth to customers
Take home share
The helper can earn up to 120 000 Cedis a month.
A seat, spinning wheel, spindle and skein winder with investments below 50
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can hurt himself while cutting the string.
Safety measures
The person must be trained to handle a razor blade or scissors safely.
Gender factors
Yarn spinning is suitable for both men and women.
Seasonality
Kente weaving is an all year round work.
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5.5.
FOOD PREPARATION AND PROCESSING
As many people in Ghana buy food at the roadside food preparation and
processing can be a good way to earn a living. It is clear that any person
working in this type of job must be clean and if dealing with customers have
a neat and pleasing appearance and be able to communicate effectively.
FUFU POUNDING HELPER
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5.5.1.
Bean cake preparation helper
Assists in preparing the beans for grinding and in frying and selling the bean
cake.
Main activities
•
soaking and sieving the beans
•
carrying the beans to and from the mill for grinding
•
setting and maintaining the cooking fire
•
frying the bean cake
•
washing pots and pans and keeping the environment tidy
Prerequisite skills
A helper in food preparation needs to be clean (self care skills) and, if she
deals
with
customers,
needs
some
social
competence
such
as
in
communicating, greeting and good social behavior. She needs to be able to
handle fire (safety awareness) and to find and walk to familiar places such as
the point of sale and the grinding mill. Functional academics relate to the use
of a measuring bowl. If dealing with customers, making change is important.
A medium degree of physical strength and agility, good motivation and work
behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Soaking and sieving the beans
•
measures the beans into a basin with a bowl
•
covers the beans with fresh water and lets them soak for two days
adding water when necessary
•
removes the beans from the water with a ladle and puts them on a
sieve to drain off fluid
Carrying the beans to and from the mill for grinding
•
puts the beans into a container and carries it to the mill
•
assists in grinding the beans and returns the bean flour to the
container
•
covers the flour with a cloth and carries it home
Setting and maintaining the cooking fire
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•
collects wood in the forest or buys it
•
lights a fire and adds wood as needed
Frying the bean cake
•
pours oil into the frying pan so the bottom is covered and puts it on the
fire
•
forms a small ball with clean hands and places it into the pan
•
turns the cake frequently until it is brown on all sides
•
removes the bean cake from the oil and frying pan with a ladle and
places it into a dish
Washing pots and pans and keeping the environment tidy
•
scrubs pots and pans
•
washes dishes
•
sweeps the ground
•
carries away rubbish
Take home share
The helper will earn around 100 000 Cedis a month.
Bowl, ladle, sieve, frying pan will demand investments of slightly more than
Risk of injuries
The principal risk consists of working with fire and touching a hot frying pan
or being burnt by drops of hot oil.
Safety measures
The skillet should only be handled using a rag for hand protection, and the
body can be protected by an apron. A first aid kit with burn ointment should
be available.
Gender factors
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Customarily, this is a job performed by females, but there is no reason why
males could not assist in this task too.
Seasonality
Bean cake can be made and sold all year round.
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5.5.2.
Biscuit baker’s assistant
Helps prepare biscuits for baking and for sale.
Main activities
•
carrying flour mixture to the mill for kneading
•
preparing pans for baking
•
removing biscuits from the oven
•
packing biscuits into boxes
•
sweeping and keeping the baking shop neat
Prerequisite skills
A biscuit baker’s assistant needs to be clean (self care skills) and, if she has
dealings
with
customers,
show
some
social
competence
such
as
in
work with a hot oven (safety awareness) to find and walk to familiar places
such as the point of sale and the mill. Functional academics except for the
use of a measuring bowl is of slight importance whereas a medium degree of
physical strength and agility and good motivation and work behavior is
essential.
Main task areas
Carrying flour to the mill for kneading
•
places biscuit ingredients in a large basin and covers it with a cloth
•
transports it to the mill for kneading
•
helps pour it into to kneading machine
•
helps remove the mixed dough and carries it back to the shop
Preparing pans for baking
•
cleans the surface of the table and sprinkles it with flour
•
rolls out dough
•
cuts the dough to size
•
arranges biscuits in a baking sheet
•
places the baking sheet into the oven so that all the space is used
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Removing biscuits from the oven
•
removes the baking sheets from the oven when instructed by the
master
•
allows them to cool
•
removes the biscuits from the baking sheet making sure not to break
them
Packing biscuits into boxes
•
places a specified number of biscuits into a container (a counting form
can be used to make sure the number is correct)
•
closes and seals the box with cello tape
•
carries the boxes to the point of sale or customer
Sweeping and keeping the baking shop neat
•
removes leftover flour from the table surface
•
sweeps the floor
•
cleans the baking sheets
•
removes spilled dough from the oven when it is cold
•
brings trash to the refuse dump
•
stacks boxes neatly
Take home share
A helper can earn up to 10 000 Cedis a day and about 250 000 cedis a
month.
Necessary equipment includes an apron (30 000 Cedis) and gloves (23 000
Cedis) with investments of less than 60 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
The primary risk consists of burning the hands by touching hot baking sheets
or the hot oven, so they must be protected.
Safety measures
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Baking sheets and oven should only be handled using gloves for hand
protection. The body can be protected by an apron. A first aid kit with burn
ointment should be available.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Biscuits are made and sold all year round.
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5.5.3.
Blackberry drink seller’s assistant
Helps prepare this local drink, in bottling and selling.
Main activities
•
sorting and soaking the blackberries
•
mixing and bottling the drink
•
cleaning the site and washing bottles and containers
•
transporting and marketing
Prerequisite skills
An acceptable level of cleanliness (self help skills) is mandatory as well as
social competence to permit limited communication. The helper needs to be
able to light and use a fire under supervision (safety awareness) and find
familiar locations such as the point of sale (orientation and travel).Social
behavior must be acceptable, but functional academics can be quite limited.
Good motivation and work behavior, being able to lift weights up to 5 kg and
fine motor skills for filling bottles without spilling are necessary.
Main task areas
Sorting and soaking the blackberries
•
sorts good blackberries which are firm to the touch without holes or
wrinkles in the shell
•
removes the shell from the fruit with her nails
•
fetches water for soaking
•
soaks the blackberries that are completely covered by water in a basin
for 24 hours
Mixing and bottling the drink
•
stirs the soaked fruits for about an hour with a spoon to remove the
seeds
•
sieves the soaked fruits to remove the chaff
•
adds one part sugar to 10 parts of water using a measuring cup
•
adds two drops of lemon juice and vanilla essence for taste
•
stirs the liquid to allow ingredients to mix well
•
pours 500 ml of the drink into each bottle and corks the bottle
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Cleaning the site and washing bottles and containers
•
washes bowls and bottles
•
sweeps up the blackberry shells and throws them in the trash
•
sweeps and tidies the work space
Transporting and marketing
•
puts the bottles into a case
•
carries the case to the point of sale
•
assists in the selling of the drink
Take home share
The assistant herself would need no specific equipment. The owner would
need to dispose of mixing bowls, measuring cups, bottles and corks a wooden
ladle and a sieve as well as a case for transporting the bottles. Investments
would be in the range of 100 000 to 200 000 Cedis.
Risk of injuries
This is a job with a very low risk of injuries.
Safety measures
Specific safety measures are not needed
Gender factors
Although it is customary for women to manufacture blackberry drinks, both
males and females could help in this job.
Seasonality
This is a seasonal activity as the fruit is harvested during the dry season
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5.5.4.
Coconut flour preparation helper
Assists in cracking coconuts, removing and grating the fruit and preparing the
flour.
Main activities
•
removing and grating the dry coconut
•
preparing the flour
Prerequisite skills
As the job has to do with food preparation, cleanliness and a neat appearance
are essential (self help skills).Social competence, travel and orientation skills
as well as functional academics can be minimal, as the person will as a rule
not deal with the public or change locations. Motivation and work behavior
must be developed and the person must be able to work with sharp objects
(safety awareness).No great amount of physical strength and agility is
needed.
Main task areas
Removing and grating the dry coconut
•
cracks the coconut by hitting it with the knife held firmly by the handle
•
holds the shell down firmly with one hand
•
scrapes out the dry fruit with the knife
•
washes the removed pieces of coconut fruit with clean water
•
holds the grater with one hand in a basin and rubs a dried coconut fruit
against until only a small piece remains
Preparing the flour
•
fills the grated coconut into a clean white (flour) sack and ties the end
with string
•
places large stones on the sack and presses down to remove liquid
•
sprinkles the grated and dried coconut on a mat and places it in the
sun
•
stores the grated coconut in containers for sale after it is dry
Take home share
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Grater, knife, basin, mat, sack, kitchen stool. The cost of necessary
investments is below 100 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
There is a risk of being hurt with the knife or grater.
Safety measures
The person needs to be trained to use a knife and grater safely. A first aid kit
should be available.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Preparing dried coconut flour is a year round job.
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5.5.5.
Coconut seller’s helper
The coconut seller’s assistant acquires and sells coconuts by the roadside.
Main task areas
•
Collecting and bringing coconuts to the stall
•
preparing coconuts for drinking and keeping the stall clean
Prerequisite skills
As the assistant is involved in offering drinking coconuts and dealing with
customers, good hygiene and communication skills are indispensable (social
competence, social behavior and self help skills). The helper needs to be able
to use a knife and cutlass and have good orientation and travel skills because
of working by the roadside. Functional academics except for making change
are of low importance. However, like for all professions, good motivation and
work behavior are essential. If the person is involved in climbing trees to get
ripe coconuts, he needs strength and agility.
.
Main task areas
Collecting and bringing coconuts to the stall
•
looks for mature coconuts on trees to pluck or buy
•
stores them in a sack and brings them to the stall or helps transport
them on a push cart
Preparing coconuts for drinking and keeping the stall clean
•
peels off the husks of the coconut
•
chops of the top of the shell and serves for drinking
•
splits open, if the customer demands this for scooping out the fruit
•
sweeps and collects the husks after the days work is done.
A cutlass which can cost up to 30 000 Cedis at present prices.
Take home share
On the average, a helper takes home about 6 000 to 8 000 Cedis a day.
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Risk of injuries
If the helper needs to climb coconut trees to pluck the fruit, there is a high
risk of falling. Also, the helper can cut himself with the cutlass while opening
coconuts for the customers.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be well trained to use a cutlass with care and to place
the coconut so the risk of cutting oneself is low.
Gender factors
Both males and females sell coconuts in Ghana.
Seasonality
This is a year round activity
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5.5.6.
Corn dough preparation assistant
Helps in drying, shelling and grinding corn. She assists in cooking, packaging
and selling the finished products.
Main activities
•
preparing the corn for grinding and cleaning leaves for wrapping
•
preparing the dough
•
packaging and selling
Prerequisite skills
As the helper also deals with the public, the trainee needs some social skills
such as being able to make herself understood or greeting people. The
person needs to present a neat and clean appearance (self help skills), as she
is preparing food. She needs to be able to use a knife safely without
excessive supervision, light and use a fire (safety awareness).Also must she
be able to move to and find the point of sale (orientation and mobility). Good
motivation and work behavior, as well as physical strength and agility
(weights up to 15 kg must be carried) are essential to be able to perform this
job.
Main task areas
Preparing the corn for grinding and cleaning wrapping leaves
•
uses a ladder to climb up the corn in the barn
•
removes the corn and brings it to the ground
•
separates the leaves from the shell
•
removes the corn from the cob and places it into a basket
•
separates good from bad kernels in two baskets as to quality
•
brings the corn to the grinding mill and waits his turn
•
returns with the ground corn
•
cleans leaves with a wet rag
•
cleans both sides
Preparing the dough
•
covers the corn with water in a pan
•
lets it soak for one day
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•
adds salt according to the quantity of corn and waits for about 20
minutes for it to dissolve
•
packs ten table spoons of soaked corn into a leaf
•
tightens it well, so the packed corn cannot leak
•
stacks the larger quantities at the bottom the smaller at the top
•
adds water and puts the pot on the fire when it is half full
•
sees to it that the fire is located directly below the pot
•
boils till tender
•
lifts the pot from the fire and allows it to cool
•
removes the wrapped corn dough with a ladle
•
cleans the pot
Packaging and selling
•
packs the corn dough in a container
•
carries it to the market
•
assists in selling the finished product
Take home share
A helper can earn up to 100 000 Cedis a month.
Cooking utensil, ladle, leaves and thread, container for transport to the
market with expenses lower than 100 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Medium, with the greatest risk of being burned or scalded by boiling water or
falling off a ladder when retrieving the corn.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be careful near the fire and boiling water and use a rag
to hold a hot pot.
Gender factors
Customarily, this is a job performed by women but of course males could also
do it.
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Seasonality
Preparing corn dough is a year round activity.
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5.5.7.
Corn mill assistant
Is an attendant helping in a corn mill. He mills grains into flour to prepare
dough for his customers.
Main activities
•
keeping the room and corn mill clean
•
charging the mill with grain and keeping the flour safe for the
customers
•
helping with maintenance of the corn mill
Prerequisite skills
Since the assistant will be dealing with customers, he needs a relatively high
skill level in social competence (communication and reaction to criticism), a
neat and pleasing appearance (self help skills) and should be able to deal
with electrical hazards and sharp objects (safety awareness).As to functional
academics, he needs to be able to use a measuring bowl and, if possible, give
correct change. Orientation and travel skills can be quite low but, as with all
jobs, good motivation and work behavior, as well as medium physical
strength and agility are important for succeeding at this job.
Main task areas
Keeping the room and corn mill clean
•
sweeps up spilled grains
•
wipes the machine clean
•
mops the floor
Charging the mill with grain and keeping the flour safe for the customers
•
measures the grains in a special bowl for charging purposes
•
follows the instructions of the owner into what form the grains should
be ground
•
mills the maize into flour or dough
•
keeps the milled items safe until their owners come for them
Helping with maintenance of the corn mill
•
is able to check the oil gage, insures that the belt is in place before
starting the machine to grind
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•
informs the owner about shortage of oil or other problems detected
•
informs customers in the case of breakdowns
Spanners, screwdrivers, hammer, file and metal brush with a necessary
investment at present prices at less than 100 000 Cedis.
Take home share
Up to ¢250,000 a month.
Risk of injuries
If the person has learned to clean or reach into the mill, when it is not in
operation, the risk of injury is low.
Safety measures
The person must be cautioned not to reach into the mill while it is in
operation. He should be aware of electrical hazards and only clean the
machine when it is shut off.
Gender factors
Seasonality
This is an all year round job.
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5.5.8.
Fish descaler’s helper
Removes scales from the fish brought in from the sea for smoking and frying.
Main activities
•
fetching the fish after the shares have been distributed
•
removing the scales with a knife
•
washing the fish and carrying it to the point of sale
Prerequisite skills
The person can perform this job with limited communication skills (social
competence) and reduced orientation and travel skills, functional academics
and social behavior. Except for the use of sharp objects (knife), safety
awareness can be limited. An awareness of the dangers of the sea is
necessary, whereas self help skills can be quite elementary. Medium physical
strength and agility are needed while good motivation and work behavior are
essential.
Main task areas
Fetching the fish after the shares have been distributed
•
walks or wades to the boat carrying a basin
•
places the fish in the basin and carries it to the shore
•
sits on a stool in a clean and shady location and places the basin next
to herself so it can be reached easily
Removing the scales with a knife
•
holds the end of fish with one hand and places it on an even surface
•
grasps the handle of the knife firmly
•
scrapes the side of the fish with the sharp edge of the knife (moving
away from the body) to remove the scales
•
cuts off unwanted parts such as the tail
Washing the fish and carrying it to the point of sale
•
fetches water from the tap or a bucket
•
washes fish thoroughly and removes scales he has missed
•
throws dirty water away
•
carries cleaned fish to the point of sale
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Take home share
With this job she can earn about 2 000 Cedis a day or 60 000 Cedis a month.
Knife, stool, basin. The total investment will be below 50 000 Cedis at
present prices.
Risk of injuries
The only danger in this job is the risk of cutting oneself with a knife.
Safety measures
The person should be taught how to use a knife safely by descaling and
cutting away from the body. A first aid kit is recommended.
Gender factors
It is customary for women to perform this job even if there is no reason why
men could not do it.
Seasonality
Fishing and removing fish scales is a year round activity.
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5.5.9.
Fish smoking assistant
Helps in the preparation of fish for smoking and selling.
Main activities
•
fetching and preparing the fish
•
preparing the fish oven and smoking the fish
•
arranging the smoked fish for sale
Prerequisite skills
Since the helper will be dealing with the public she should be able to make
herself understood to customers and be able to greet and respond to
greetings of the people she interacts with. A relatively neat and pleasing
appearance is necessary in dealing with food. Safety skills such as using a
knife and dealing with fire is necessary element and as the job includes
moving from one are to the other and carrying loads, some orientation and
travel skills as well as medium physical strength and agility are a must. If the
helper is involved in selling she must be able to make change. Good
Main task areas
Fetching and preparing the fish
•
goes to the seashore to buy fish
•
carries the fish to the fish smoking site in a basin
•
removes dirt from the fish by washing with salty water
•
throws away the dirty water
Preparing the fish oven and smoking the fish
•
cleans the grill by scraping it with a knife
•
wipes palm leaves and arranges them on the grill
•
arranges fresh fish on the grill so that they cover the whole expanse
•
places about six grills with fish one over the other in the oven
•
lights a fire that does not burn strongly
•
pulls wood back leaving only the embers and place coconut musk on
top to produce smoke
•
covers the top grill with cardboard to capture heat and smoke
•
regulates fire for even and constant heat and smoke
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•
turns fish over to smoke them on both sides
•
Depending on the size of the fish allows it to grill for at least four hours
until it is brown and well smoked
•
allows the fish to cool and removes it from the grill
Arranging the smoked fish for sale
•
places the fish carefully in a basket
•
caries it to the market or point of sale
•
arranges the smoked fish into quantities of three or four depending on
the size and price
•
assists in selling the fish
Take home share
A fish smoking helper can earn about 80 000. - Cedis a month.
The owner of the fish smoking oven may need quite a number of implements
such as smoking grills, basins, firewood, polythene bags for wrapping the
smoked fish etc. However the helper will need only a knife, a tray for carrying
the fish and some rags with costs of about 45, 000 cedis.
Risk of injuries
There is the risk of being burnt by fire or in handling the hot grill or being cut
by the knife.
Safety measures
The person should be taught how to use a knife safely by cutting away from
the body. A rag or napkin is recommended when handling the grill and the
person should be instructed to position herself in a way that avoids standing
in the smoke or near open flames. A first aid kit is recommended.
Gender factors
It is customary for women to perform this job even there is no reason why
men could not do it.
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Seasonality
Fish smoking is a year round activity even though the catch can vary
seasonally.
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5.5.10.
Groundnut paste maker’s helper
The helper assists in roasting groundnuts and extracting the oil.
Main activities
•
preparing the groundnuts for roasting
•
roasting the groundnuts and removing the shells
•
milling the roasted groundnuts into paste
•
packaging and preparing for sale
Prerequisite skills
Despite the fact that job has to do with food preparation only a limited
amount of cleanliness is required. Depending on the tasks assigned, the
person may need some social competence and travel orientation skills. The
person may need to move around and communicate for example from the
preparation site to the mill. Even though only a minimal amount of physical
strength is needed he must develop safety precautions since work with fire is
involved.
Main task areas
Preparing the groundnuts for roasting
•
picks out rotten nuts, stones and other unwanted materials from the
groundnuts
•
washes fine sand, removes stones and sticks and places the clean sand
in a shallow basin
Roasting the groundnuts and removing the shells
•
sets a fire
•
heats the sand in the basin to a required temperature
•
pours a quantity of groundnuts to be roasted into the shallow basin and
stirs to prevent burning
•
stirs to get brown roasted nuts within 25 to 30 minutes
•
spreads the sand and groundnuts on a flat tray to cool and sieves the
contents of the basin to separate the groundnuts from the sand
•
176
removes the peel from the nuts and lets the peels blow off by the wind
________________________________________________________________________________________
Milling the roasted groundnuts into paste
•
pours the roasted and peeled groundnuts in a container and carries it
to the grinding mill
•
mills the groundnuts in the grinding mill
•
adds a quantity of groundnut oil to soften the paste to the desired
texture
Packaging and preparing for sale
•
mixes the paste until it becomes smooth and creamy by stirring
vigorously
•
washes containers carefully
•
fills the required amount into a screw top container
•
brings the containers with groundnut paste to the point of sale.
Take home share
The helper will earn between 80, 000 to 100, 000 Cedis depending on the
sales.
Broad shallow basin, sieve, ladle with current prices below 100 000 Cedis.
Risk of injuries
The main risk consists of working with fire and touching the hot pan during
the roasting
Safety Measures
The basin should only be handled with a glove or rag when on the fire and
the person should use and apron to protect the body. A first aid kit with burn
ointment must be available as well.
Gender factors
Both males and females could assist in the preparation of groundnut paste.
Seasonality
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Groundnut paste can be prepared for sale all year round.
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5.5.11.
Groundnut chips ‘Kulikuli’ preparation helper
Assists in drying, shelling roasting and milling of the groundnuts and in
preparing and packaging the finished product.
Main activities
•
preparing the groundnuts for milling
•
preparing the groundnut paste
•
packaging and selling of Kulikuli
Prerequisite skills
As the helper also deals with the public the trainee needs some social skills
such as being able to make herself understood or greeting people. The
person needs to present a neat and pleasing appearance (self help skills) as
she is preparing food. She needs- without excessive supervision- to be able
to use a knife safely and light and use a fire ( safety awareness).Functional
academics can be limited except for money skills but she must be able to find
the point of sale ( orientation and travel skills). Good motivation and work
behavior as well as medium physical strength (weights up to 10 kg) need to
be carried) are essential in order to perform this job.
Main task areas
Preparing the groundnuts for milling
•
cuts open a bag of groundnuts and pours the contents into a container
•
shells the groundnuts and removes unwanted material
•
sets a fire
•
places a pan with clean sand mixed with groundnuts on the fire
•
roasts groundnuts until they are an even brown color
•
uses a sieve to separate groundnuts from the sand
•
allows the roasted nuts to cool
•
brings the groundnuts to the mill and awaits own turn
Preparing the groundnut paste
•
sets a fire and pours hot water on the paste to cook it
•
stirs gradually until oil comes to the surface
•
skims oil from the pot until it the contents form a paste
•
uses a clean board to roll paste into rings with the hands
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•
puts oil in a frying pan and fries the rings until they are hard
•
removes the chips with a sieve and drains the oil
•
cleans the board and frying pan and saves oil in a container
Packaging and selling of Kulikuli
•
puts quantities of chips into white polythene bags
•
uses a measuring cup or counting board to assure even numbers
•
carries the bagged chips in a container to the market
•
assists in selling the finished product
Take home share
Frying pan, chop board, ladle and container for transport to the market will
demand investments of slightly less than 200 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
The principal risk consists of working with fire and touching a hot frying pan
or being burnt by drops of hot oil.
Safety measures
The skillet should only be handled using a rag for hand protection, and the
body can be protected by an apron. A first aid kit with burn ointment should
be available.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Groundnut chips can be made and sold all year round.
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5.5.12.
Kenkey seller’s helper
Helps prepare kenkey for sale.
Main activities
•
accompanying the madam to the market to buy the necessary
materials for preparing kenkey
•
soaking and sieving the corn and bringing it to the mill for grinding
•
preparing the dough and letting it ferment
•
removing the kenkey and preparing it for sale
•
washing pots and pans and keeping the environment tidy
Prerequisite skills
A kenkey seller’s assistant needs to be clean (self care skills) and, if she has
dealings with customers, needs some social competence. Examples include
communicating and greeting and good use of social behavior. She needs to
be able to handle fire (safety awareness), to find and walk to familiar places
such as the point of sale and the grinding mill. Functional academics can be
limited except for the use of a measuring bowl. If dealing with customers,
making change is of slight importance. A medium degree of physical strength
and agility, and good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Accompanying the madam to the market to buy the necessary materials
for preparing kenkey
•
goes to the market to buy corn and transports the corn home
•
assists in buying firewood and carries it home
•
helps to buy corn husks and brings them home
Soaking and sieving the corn and bringing it to the mill for grinding
•
selects and removes bad corn out of the lot
•
soaks the rest for 2 or 3 days
•
sieves the corn from the water
•
washes corn well to avoid foul odor
•
carries the corn to the mill and brings it home after milling
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Preparing the dough and letting it ferment
•
prepares the dough
•
leaves it to ferment
•
prepares the porridge
•
mixes the porridge with fresh dough to make a paste
Removing corn husks into singles and molding paste into the husks
•
removes the corn husks into singles
•
selects the best ones and washes them
•
soaks them in water
•
moulds the paste into the corn husks
Setting a fire and boiling the kenkey
•
stacks the kenkey into a pot
•
adds water to so that the kenkey is covered
•
sets fire under the pot
•
helps to put the kenkey on the fire
•
covers the pot and feeds the fire
Removing the kenkey and preparing it for sale
•
removes the pot from the fire when it is well boiled
•
carries the kenkey to where it will be sold and helps to sell the kenkey
Washing pots and pans and keeping the environment tidy
•
•
washes dishes
•
sweeps the ground
•
carries away rubbish
Take home share
Bowl, ladle, sieve, iron pot will demand investments of slightly more than 150
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Risk of injuries
The principal risk consists of working with fire and touching a hot pot or being
scalded by hot water
Safety measures
The pot should only be handled using a rag for hand protection, and the body
can be protected by an apron. A first aid kit with burn ointment should be
available.
Gender factors
Customarily, this is a job performed by females but there is no reason why
Seasonality
Kenkey can be made and sold all year round
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5.5.13.
Local corn drinks preparation helper
Assists in preparing for fermentation, making and marketing the corn drink
(Yorkshire cooling Nneda).
Main activities
•
preparation of the corn for fermentation
•
preparation of the Yorkshire cooling Nneda
•
packaging and selling the drink
Prerequisite skills
A helper in food preparation needs to be clean (self care skills) and, if she
deals
with
customers,
needs
some
social
competence
such
as
in
handle fire (safety awareness) and to find and walk to familiar places such as
the point of sale and the grinding mill. Functional academics relate to the use
of a measuring bowl. If dealing with customers, making change is important.
A medium degree of physical strength and agility, good motivation and work
behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Preparation of the corn for fermentation
•
fetches the corn from the barn with a ladder
•
separates the leave and removes the corn from the cob
•
sorts the good from the bad kernels and places them in separate
baskets
•
cleans the platform on which corn is fermented with soap and water
•
measures the quantity of corn ( one American tin)
•
sprinkles water on the corn to make it sprout and covers it
•
leaves the watered corn to sprout for one week
•
spreads the wet corn on the platform to dry and for aeration
Preparation of the Yorkshire cooling Nneda
•
puts the dried sprouted corn into a container and carries it to the mill
•
assists in coarsely grinding the corn, cover the container with a cloth
and carries it home
•
184
mixes the ground corn with four gallons of water in a big pot
________________________________________________________________________________________
•
lights a fire and adds wood as needed
•
boils the desired quantity of the mixture for about 30 minutes until it
turns brown
•
strains the mixture and allows it to cool
•
cleans the pot and tidies up the work place
Packaging and selling the drink
•
washes a gourd and pours the drink in it
•
adds ice cubes and covers the gourd with a lid
•
carries the gourd to the point of sale
•
uses a measuring cup for filling the drink into rubber bags
•
adds milk to the chilled drink for sale
Take home share
The assistant’s tools will usually be provided by the owner and include
aluminum pots, ladle, wooden spoon, strainer, an ice chest and a big gourd
for the drink. The cost of manufacturing the drink will be about 200 000, Cedis for one batch.
Risk of injuries
scalded when pouring the hot drink.
Safety measures
The pot should only be handled using a rag for hand protection. A first aid kit
with burn ointment should be available.
Gender factors
Seasonality
185
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Yorkshire Nneda can be made and sold all year round.
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5.5.14.
Palm oil preparation helper
Assists in extracting palm oil from the palm fruits.
Main activities
•
removing fruits from the stock and cracking of palm kernels
•
washing and drying nuts
•
boiling and pounding of palm kernels
•
mixing paste and extracting the oil
Prerequisite skills
Even though the job has to do with food preparation, only a limited amount
cleanliness is needed (self help skills).Social competence, travel and
orientation skills, as well as functional academics can be minimal since the
person will generally not deal with the public or change locations. Motivation
and work behavior must be developed and sshe must be able to work with
fire and hot water (safety awareness).No great amount of physical strength
and agility is needed.
Main task areas
Removing fruits from the stock and cracking of palm kernels
•
places the kernel on a firmly fixed flat stone on the ground
•
hits the kernel with a heavy stone gripped in the stronger hand
•
repeats process until all the kernels are cracked
•
removes all the nuts from shell
Washing and drying nuts
•
fetches water in two containers
•
places nuts into one of the containers and washes them with water
•
transfers nuts into second container for thorough and final washing
•
dries nuts in the sun on a cemented ground
Boiling and pounding palm kernels
•
lights a fire and places an iron pot on it
•
puts the kernels in the pot and adds some water almost to the brim for
boiling
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•
when the kernels are soft takes the pot off the fire and sieves the
kernels out of the water
•
pounds the boiled kernels into a paste using mortar and pestle
Mixing paste and extracting the oil
•
pours a small quantity of water on the paste in a basin
•
uses a whisk to stir the mixture until it is well distributed and soft
•
pours more water on until the oil forms above the water
•
removes the oil from the top of the mixture with a ladle into a pot
•
places the iron pot on the fire and allows it to boil for a short time
•
uses a small basket to sieve the oil and removes particles
•
after sieving places the pot on fire again for about 45 minutes
•
adds salt and spices to taste and allows the oil to cool
•
pours the oil into containers for sale
Take home share
Depending on the skill of the person on the job and the amount sold earnings
can be between 100 000 and 200 000 cedis monthly.
Mortar, pestle, whisk, basket/colander, basin, ladle and iron pot with
investments of about 500 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
The helper can be burnt by hot water or oil and can hurt himself while
cracking the nuts.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be trained to deal with fire and boiling oil safely. Gloves
should be worn when removing the pot from the fire. Also burn ointment and
a first aid kit should be available.
Gender factors
This job is customary for women but can also be performed by men.
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Seasonality
Palm Oil preparation is a year round occupation.
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5.5.15.
Palm wine tapper’s assistant
Helps in preparing and distributing palm wine to distillers and sellers.
Main activities
•
felling palm trees and preparing them for tapping
•
assisting in the tapping of palm wine
•
assisting in the distribution and selling of palm wine
Prerequisite skills
The following skills make it likely that a person can be successfully trained for
this job: a relatively high level of physical strength and agility for chopping
down trees and good motivation and work behavior. Social competence as to
language and interaction with others can be quite low, but the person must
be ready to respond to criticism and instructions. A neat appearance (self
help skills) is only desirable if the person is involved in meeting clients. If he
helps with marketing the product, he must have good travel and orientation
skills. Safety awareness is important as to dealing with sharp objects (cutlass
and axe) and reaction to dangers in the bush. Functional academics are of no
importance to becoming a palm wine tapper’s assistant.
Main task areas
Felling trees and preparing them for tapping
•
cuts the roots of a palm tree using an axe
•
aligns the tree so it falls in the desired direction
•
leaves the trunk for about a week and then removes the branches
•
cleans the pots used to collect the palm wine when it is dripping
Tapping the palm wine
•
inserts bamboo tubes in the holes drilled by the palm wine tapper
•
sets the pots beneath the palm trees so that the bamboo tubes can
directly drip fluid into them
•
after about two days heats the surface of the holes with a burning
torch to make way for more fluid
Assisting in the distribution and selling
•
190
cleans and prepares the collection barrel for storage and distribution
________________________________________________________________________________________
•
carries fresh palm wine to local customers for sale
•
transports palm wine to a distillery.
Take home share
The tapper’s assistant can receive up to 150 000 Cedis at the end of the
month.
Cutlass, axe, knife, chisel, hammer, drill with investments amounting to
about 150 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Medium. the person needs to be able to judge the direction in which a tree
will fall and be able to deal with sharp object such an axe and cutlass.
Safety measures
Sturdy boots should be worn when felling trees.
Gender factors
Tapping is a male dominated occupation in Ghana.
Seasonality
There is no particular time for palm wine tapping so it can be a year round
occupation.
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5.5.16.
Pito brewing assistant
Helps prepare this local alcoholic drink from malt.
Main activities
•
preparing material necessary for brewing
•
soaking grain and bringing it to the mill
•
setting and tending fire
•
cleaning the site and washing the calabashes
Prerequisite skills
An acceptable level of cleanliness (self help skills) is mandatory as well as
social competence to permit limited communication. The helper needs to be
able to light and use a fire under supervision (safety awareness) and find
familiar locations such as the mill (orientation and travel).Social behavior
must be acceptable, but functional academics can be quite limited. Good
motivation and work behavior, as well as good physical strength and agility
are necessities.
Main task areas
Preparing material necessary for brewing
•
goes to the forest or market to gather or buy firewood and carries it
home
•
fetches water for soaking and brewing
•
soaks grain and brings it to the mill
•
covers grain in a bowl with clean water
•
allows it to soak and germinate for several days
•
adds fresh water when necessary so the grain is always well covered
•
removes the germinated grain puts it into a container and carries it to
the mill
•
helps pour the grain into the mouth of the mill and places basin
underneath for collecting the powder
•
covers the basin with a cloth and carries the milled germinated grain
home
Setting and tending a fire
•
192
lights and feeds a fire
________________________________________________________________________________________
•
places pot on fire and fills it with fresh water
•
stirs the powder into the boiling water and continues to stir
•
pours the brewed pito through sieve into a container to cool
Cleaning the site and washing the calabashes
•
washes the pot for brewing
•
washes and dries the drinking calabashes
•
sweeps and tidies the drinking bar
Take home share
Pots, basins, calabashes, seats for customers
Investments would need to be in the range of 100 000 to 500 000 Cedis.
Risk of injuries
There is a risk of being burnt by fire or scalded by hot water.
Safety measures
The helper must be trained to be cautious with fire, grip the hot pot with a
rag and pour carefully. A first aid kit and burn ointment should be available.
Gender factors
Although it is customary for women to brew, both males and females could
help in this job.
Seasonality
Brewing is a year round activity.
193
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5.5.17.
Plantain griller’s helper
Assists in preparing plantains for sale at the roadside.
Main activities
•
fetching charcoal and plantains
•
setting and tending the fire
•
peeling and grilling the plantains
•
sweeping and cleaning the workplace
Prerequisite skills
As the assistant is involved in food preparation and dealing with customers,
good hygiene and communication skills are indispensable (social competence,
social behavior and self help skills). She needs to be able to use a knife and
deal with fire safely (safety awareness). And if she works in front of the
house, limited orientation and travel skills are possible. However, she needs
to find familiar places for buying charcoal or plantains. Functional academics
except for making change are of low importance but, like for all professions,
good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main tasks
Fetching charcoal and plantains
•
carries charcoal and plantains to the workplace
•
sorts and store plantains
Setting and tending the fire
•
lights fire
•
fans the embers
•
adds charcoal when needed
Peeling and grilling the plantains
•
peels the ripe plantain using a knife
•
throws the peel into a dustbin
•
cuts the ripe plantain into smaller and required sizes with a knife
•
puts the peeled plantains onto a mesh for grilling
•
removes grilled plantain from the mesh and hands it to the customer
194
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Sweeping and cleaning the work place
•
sweeps the sales area
•
gathers up the rubbish in a dust bin
•
cleans the grilling mesh with a rag
•
carries the refuse to a refuse dump
Take home share
Earnings vary between 2 000 Cedis and 4 000 Cedis each day so that the
helper can earn up to 120 000 Cedis a month.
A knife or cutlass costing less than 30 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
There is a risk of burns from the fire and of cutting oneself with a knife while
peeling or slicing.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be trained to work with a grill and a knife. A first aid kit
Gender factors
It is customary for females to work in this profession.
Seasonality
As plantains are available all year round there is no specific season for this
occupation.
195
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5.5.18.
Porridge making assistant
Prepares the millet and helps cook and sell porridge.
Main activities
•
preparing millet and bringing it to the grinding mill
•
preparing flour for fermentation
•
cooking porridge
•
cleaning dishes and sweeping the grounds
Prerequisite skills
As this job has to do with customer service and food preparation, a neat and
pleasing appearance and good social skills are essential (social competence,
self help skills).Orientation and travel skills can be limited to finding familiar
environments such as the flour mill and the location where the porridge is
sold. If the person is to participate in selling, she must be able to make
change. Measuring the quantities for porridge is another functional academic
skill. The person must be able to function in a group and have good
motivation and work behavior. Besides being able to deal with a cooking fire,
there are no specific safety hazards involved. Medium physical strength and
agility are necessary prerequisites of performing this job.
Main task areas
Preparing millet and bringing it to the grinding mill
•
uses a bowl to measure the quantity of millet
•
fills the bowl with water so that the millet is completely covered
•
soaks in the water for two days and drains in a basket
•
pours the dirty water away
Preparing flour for fermentation
•
carries the soaked grains to the flour mill
•
pours the millet into the grinding pan
•
puts the basin under the mouth of the mill to collect the flour
•
pays the mill owner
•
covers the basin of flour with a cloth to prevent the wind from blowing
it away and carries it home
196
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Cooking of porridge
•
starts a fire and fetches water
•
puts a pot filled with water on the fire
•
pours a measured quantity of flour into the boiling water while
constantly stirring
•
keeps stirring until the porridge is ready for eating
Cleaning dishes and sweeping the grounds
•
washes dishes and spoons after use
•
cleans and scrapes pot
•
keeps the area were porridge is sold tidy
Take home share
Can earn up to about 100 000 Cedis a month.
Cooking pot, spoons, dishes, bowl with investments amounting to about 100
Risk of injuries
The assistant can be burnt by fire or scalded by hot water if she is not
careful.
Safety measures
Must be well trained to work with fire. Burn ointment and first aid kit should
be available.
Gender factors
Customarily this is a job for females
Seasonality
Porridge is prepared and sold all year round
197
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5.5.19.
Soya bean kebab seller’s helper
Helps prepare soya bean kebab for sale.
Main activities
•
preparing the beans for grinding
•
preparing the kebab
•
packaging and selling
Prerequisite skills
A kebab seller’s assistant needs to be clean (self care skills) and, if she has
dealings with customers, needs some social competence. Examples include
communicating and greeting and good use of social behavior. She needs to
be able to handle fire (safety awareness), to find and walk to familiar places
such as the point of sale and the grinding mill. Functional academics can be
limited except for the use of a measuring bowl. If dealing with customers,
making change is of slight importance. A medium degree of physical strength
and agility, and good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Preparing the beans for grinding
•
goes to the market to buy soya beans and transports them home
•
assists in buying firewood and carries it home
•
removes pebbles and dirt from the beans
•
washes the beans and covers them with water in a pan
•
soaks the soy beans for one day
•
removes the soaked beans from water and puts them in a bowl
•
brings the beans to the grinding mill
•
returns with the ground beans
Preparing the kebab
•
mixes the ground beans with water
•
strains the mixture through a flour sack
•
pours the resulting soy milk into an iron pot
•
sets a fire and boils the milk
•
adds strained Epsom salts solution by sprinkling it on the boiling milk
to make it curdle
198
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•
strains the mixture with a colander and puts the curdled milk in flour
sack
•
and ties the sack with a thread and places the a stone one the sack
over night to remove excess fluid
•
removes the curdled soy bean milk paste and cuts it into pieces of the
same size
•
grinds spices and mixes them with fresh water
•
soaks the soy bean pieces into watery spices for half an hour
•
sets a fire and fries the pieces in oil until golden brown
•
removes the fried kebab and presses and shapes it onto kebab sticks
with clean hands
•
sprinkles kebab powder on the Soya kebab
Packaging and selling
•
places the Soya kebab in a closed plastic container
•
carries the kebab to the different points of sale
•
assists in selling the product
Take home share
Depends on the number of kebabs manufactured and sold but can go up to
200 000 cedis a month
The usual cooking utensils will be provided by the owner and include a big
pot, colander, grinding stone for spices, cutting board etc. The assistant may
have to own a knife for cutting the soya bean paste and a flour sack for
straining the milk with investments lower than 50 000 cedis.
Risk of injuries
scalded by hot water
Safety measures
The pot should only be handled using a rag for hand protection, and the body
can be protected by an apron. The helper will need to learn to use a knife
199
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carefully when cutting the kebab pieces. A first aid kit with burn ointment
Gender factors
Customarily, this is a job performed by females but there is no reason why
Seasonality
Soy bean kebab can be made and sold all year round
200
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5.5.20.
Tea seller’s helping hand
Assists in preparing breakfast for travelers on the roadside of busy
thoroughfares.
Main activities
•
carrying utensils for roadside catering to location
•
setting and tending to fire for boiling tea water
•
assisting in preparing breakfast for customers
•
washing dishes and keeping the environment tidy
Prerequisite skills
social behavior and self help skills). The helper needs to be able to use a
knife and deal with fire safely (safety awareness) and have good orientation
and travel skills because of working by the roadside. Functional academics
except for making change is of low importance. As is the case for all
professions, good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Carrying utensils for roadside catering to location
•
carries table, benches, pots, pans and dishes to the location
•
fetches water and charcoal for cooking
Setting and tending to fire for boiling tea water
•
lights and feeds fire
•
puts the pot on the fire and boils water
•
pours hot water into a thermos
Assisting in preparing breakfast for customers
•
washes and chops tomatoes and onions
•
slices bread
•
spreads margarine on bread slices
•
cracks and stirs eggs in a bowl for making omelets
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Washing dishes and keeping the environment tidy
•
•
washes and dries cups and plates
•
sweeps the ground and carries away rubbish
Take home share
A tea seller’s helping hand can earn up to 100 000 Cedis a month.
Water bucket, pots and pans, a knife, plates and cups, stove, table and seats
for customers. The necessary investments can range from 100 000 to 500
000 Cedis depending on the amount of equipment bought.
Risk of injuries
There is a risk of burns from the cooking fire and being scalded by hot water
or cutting oneself with a knife.
Safety measures
The helper needs to be trained to work with a stove and a knife. She should
wear an apron when working and use a rag to lift a hot pot or skillet off the
fire. A first aid kit should be available.
Gender factors
The helper could be female or male.
Seasonality
Selling breakfast by the roadside is a year round activity.
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5.6.
SERVICES AND COMMERCE
Almost every Ghanaian woman is involved in trading so there are a lot of
activities in this sector where a person with a mental handicap can help in the
family business. Services are another activity area where a school leaver can
be useful.
SERVICE/COMMERCE
Housegirl
SERVICE/COMMERCE
Cobbler
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5.6.1.
Bookman’s assistant
Helps at a Lorry Station where tickets are being sold to passengers, helps
charge luggage and loads goods onto the vehicle.
Main activities
•
sorting luggage according to size and collecting the charge
•
loading goods onto the vehicle
Prerequisite skills
The main consideration for the selection of persons that could be trained for
this job is a high degree of physical strength and agility. Good safety
awareness is necessary to avoid getting hit by moving vehicles. Since the
assistant will be dealing with customers, he needs a relatively high skill level
in social competence (communication and reaction to criticism) and an
acceptable appearance (self help skills). Functional academics should be at
the level of giving correct change to small amounts of money. He must be
able to work in a team (social behavior) and demonstrate good motivation
and work behavior. Since this job is performed under time pressure, good
money skills and flexible dealing with customers are important, only few
graduates will be able to perform this activity.
Main task areas
Sorting luggage according to size and collecting the charge
•
sorts passengers’ luggage and estimates size and weight
•
charges luggage that does not exceed 6 000 Cedis
Loading goods onto the vehicle
•
loads goods into boots of cars and onto carriages of lorries
•
puts heavy and bulky goods on the bottom and lighter goods on top
•
makes sure that they fit into the space and that other goods are not
crushed
•
carries loads from passengers to the vehicle
•
lifts the load up to the driver’s mate on top of vehicles
Take home share
He takes home about 10 000 to 12 000 Cedis a day.
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No equipment or investments are needed.
Risk of injuries
The person can strain his back and tear muscles when lifting heavy weights.
In addition, he must be able to recognize badly packed goods so their content
will not spill.
Safety measures
The bookman’s assistant should be taught how to lift heavy goods (squatting
down and moving upward with the whole body instead of bending over). Also
the bookman and driver’s mate should be instructed to help with heavy
goods. Drivers must be careful when driving inside the station, so that
accidents can be avoided.
Gender factors
This job could be done by both sexes but is customary for men.
Seasonality
It is an all year round job.
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5.6.2.
Car washer’s assistant
Helps in a car washing bay in cleaning the car’s interior and washing the body
and tires
Main activities
•
cleaning the inside of the car
•
cleaning the tires
•
washing the body of the car
Prerequisite skills
A car washer’s assistant needs to be relatively clean (self care skills) in order
to attract customers. As he has dealings with customers, he must show some
social competence such as in communicating and greeting and good social
behavior. As there are no electrical appliances involved, the person does not
need a high degree of safety awareness (unless a pressure hose is being
used). He needs to be able to attain familiar places (for example for buying
soap and sponges) and, if involved in errands, (orientation and travel).
Functional academics, except for the use of a measuring bowl for washing
powder, are of slight importance. On the other hand, medium physical
strength and agility and good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Cleaning the inside of the car
•
takes out removable objects such as cushions, plastic flowers, rubber
mats etc.
•
places them in a safe place and on a clean surface
•
dusts the interior and wipes plastic surfaces with a wet rag
•
brushes out the carpet and cleans rubber mats
•
cleans the car windows from the inside with soapy water and rinses
and dries them
•
when the car body and the tires have been washed brings all the
objects from the interior to their proper place
Cleaning the tires
•
prepares soapy water in a bucket
•
wipes tires and rims with a sponge and soapy water
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•
uses a brush to rub out dirt if necessary
•
rinses with clean water and lets tires dry in the sun
Washing the body of the car
•
prepares soapy water in a bucket
•
uses a sponge to clean the car body
•
rinses the body with clear water
•
wipes the sides with a rag
•
polishes the metal parts if necessary
•
cleans the car windows and car lights with soapy water, rinses and
dries them
Take home share
Are on a daily basis and between 15 000 and 30 000 Cedis per day
depending on the number of customers.
Brushes, bucket, Wellington boots, duster, sponge with investments below
Risk of injuries
Are low, but he can slip and fall on wet ground.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed but he must learn to be aware if the
vehicle is not securely parked.
Gender factors
Both sexes can be trained to do this job, but it is customarily a male
occupation.
Seasonality
Cars are washed all year round.
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5.6.3.
Chop bar assistant
Supplies water for the customers, cleans the table, washes dishes and helps
keep the chop bar clean.
Main activities
•
helping carry and stock supplies
•
providing customers with water to wash their hands as well as water to
drink
•
clearing the table and washing the dishes
•
sweeping the bar and the surroundings
Prerequisite skills
social behavior and self help skills). The helper needs to be able to work
around sharp objects, fire and electrical appliances safely (safety awareness).
But orientation and travel skills can be limited, as he works in a constant
environment. Functional academics are of low importance, except for being
able to match the number of persons to the number of objects such as bowl
or sachets of water. However, as for all professions, good motivation and
work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Helping carry and stock supplies
•
transports the foodstuff bought from the market into the chop bar
•
stacks them in the appropriate place
•
fetches supplies as needed
Providing customers with water to wash their hands as well as water to
drink
•
fetches water from a tap in a bowl for hand washing
•
hands them soap and a towel
•
serves drinking water in a bottle with a clean glass
•
fetches chilled water (pure water) for customers upon request
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Clearing the table and washing the dishes
•
clears the table after the customers have finished their food
•
washes cups, plates and cutlery
•
stacks dishes in their appropriate places
Sweeping the bar and the surroundings
•
sweeps the bar early before work starts
•
weeds around the location
•
removes cow webs from wall and ceiling
•
stores all objects in their appropriate place in the evening
•
collects the rubbish in a bin and brings it to the refuse dump
Take home share
A chop bar assistant earns a monthly allowance between ¢150,000 to ¢
200,000 depending on the income of the owner.
None.
Risk of injuries
Low.
Safety measures
Gender factors
Seasonality
This is a year round occupation.
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5.6.4.
Clothes washer’s assistant
Helps collect dirty clothing form the customer’s homes and in washing,
ironing and bringing them back
Main activities
•
collecting soiled clothing for washing
•
washing and drying clothing
•
ironing clothing and returning it to the customer
Prerequisite skills
A clothes washer’s assistant needs to be relatively clean (self care skills) and
have a neat appearance. If the person has dealings with customers, she must
show some social competence such as in communicating, greeting and good
social behavior. She needs to be able to handle an electric or box iron (safety
awareness). Also important are abilities to find and walk to familiar places
such as the customers homes when sent on errands (orientation and travel).
Functional academics, except for the use of a measuring bowl for washing
powder, are of slight importance. However, medium physical strength and
agility and good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Collecting soiled clothing for washing
•
accompanies the washman to the customer’s houses
•
carries clothing to the wash place in a basket or a bundle
•
sorts clothing as to colour
Washing and drying clothing
•
fetches water from a stream or the tap
•
soaks the white clothing in an omo solution or bleach to remove stains
•
washes clothing with soap vigorously rubbing the dirty parts together
•
rinses in a separate bowl until all traces of soap are removed
•
dries rinsed wash on a clothes line or placing them on bushes
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Ironing clothing and returning it to the customer
•
•
•
first irons the collar then other parts, making sure to avoid wrinkles
•
folds clothing neatly avoiding wrinkles
•
•
bundles the washed clothing and returns it to the customer
Take home share
Depend on the number of clients, but the assistant can earn about 10 000
Cedis on a working day.
Water bucket, washing bowls, clothes line and clothes pegs with investments
of less than 50 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Consist of being burnt while ironing.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed except training to be careful with an
iron.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Clothing must be washed all year round but normally, this is a weekly task.
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5.6.5.
Cobbler’s helper
Helps to mend and polish old and damaged shoes and other leather wares for
a fee. He can either walk around soliciting customers or be seated at the
same location at the roadside and accomplish repair tasks as instructed by
the cobbler.
Main activities
•
repairing shoes and sandals
•
polishing shoes, sandals and belts
Prerequisite skills
In order to attract customers, the helper must have a neat and pleasing
appearance (self help skills) and communicate well (social competence). He
must show good social behavior and needs some skills in travel and
orientation as he will need to move around in his job. There are almost no
safety risks in this job and functional academics relate to dealing with money
and making change. Physical strength and agility can be limited but good
motivation and work behavior is a must.
Main task areas
Repairing shoes and sandals
•
uses hammer and nails to fix the loose sole or leather
•
uses needle and strong thread to sew damaged leather
•
roughens leather with sandpaper and applies glue to stick pieces of
leather or a sole together
•
cuts out pieces of leather of the same size and shape to replace those
that need to be repaired
Polishing shoes, sandals and belts
•
uses a brush to remove dust and dirt from shoes and other leatherwear
•
applies shoe polish with a rag and spreads it evenly
•
works shoe polish into to leather by rubbing vigorously
•
uses a rag to shine the leather so it gleams
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Take home share
The persons earns from 1 000 to 5 000 Cedis per small repair so that
monthly earnings can come to about 150 000 cedis.
Needle, thread, hammer nails and anvil, shoe polish and rags, shoe soles and
pieces of leather, glue. The investments amount to a little over 70 000 Cedis
at present prices.
Risks of injuries
Very low except for pricking fingers with a needle or hitting the hand with a
hammer.
Safety measures
No specific measures except supervision.
Gender factors
Although this is a male dominated occupation, there is no reason why a
female could not work in this profession.
Seasonality
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5.6.6.
Cocoa bean dryer’s assistant
Helps to dry cocoa beans bought by the company, bag them and load them
onto the company’s cars or truck.
Main activity
•
drying cocoa beans in the sun
•
bagging cocoa beans and sewing them shut
•
loading and unloading company’s vehicles
•
keeping the cocoa shed and surroundings clean
Prerequisite skills
Even though the assistant does not deal directly with customers, he needs a
relatively high skill level in social competence (communication and reaction to
criticism), an acceptable appearance (self help skills) and the ability to work
in a group (social behavior). Except for dealing with needle and thread when
sewing shut bags, safety awareness can be quite low. Only a minimal level of
functional academics is needed. Orientation and travel skills can be quite low
but, as with all jobs, good motivation and work behavior and medium
physical strength and agility are important for succeeding at this job.
Main task areas
Drying cocoa beans in the sun
•
spreads the drying mats in the sun
•
carries beans from storeroom in a basket or container
•
spreads beans evenly on the mats
•
stirs beans every now and then to ensure all parts of beans are dried
•
brings beans back to the storeroom at the end of the day or in case of
bad weather
Bagging cocoa beans and sewing them shut
•
fills sacs with the dried beans
•
threads a needle with a coarse string
•
holds bag end in one hand
•
passes needle and thread through the bag’s top until it is sewn shut
•
stacks the closed bags in the storeroom
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Loading and unloading company’s vehicles
•
with the help of another employee, carries the filled bags to the truck
•
heaves the bags up on the back of the truck
•
unloads vehicles that bring the fresh cocoa pods
Keeping the cocoa shed and surroundings clean
•
sweeps the shed and the drying area
•
shakes out and stores the drying mats
•
throws away the rubbish
•
burns the trash or brings it to the refuse dump
Sacks, needles, thread, drying mats are supplied by the company so no
investments are needed.
Take home share
The assistant can earn up to 500 000 Cedis a month during bumper harvest
and 300 000 Cedis during the lean season.
Risk of injuries
Are low, except for straining ones back while lifting and carrying or pricking
ones finger while sewing.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed, but the person must be taught how
to lift and carry without straining his back.
Gender factors
This job is usually reserved for men, although there is no reason why women
could not do it.
Seasonality
As varieties of cocoa beans are now being grown that can be harvested three
times a year, this can be a year round job.
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5.6.7.
Female house helper
Cleans the house and assists in preparing the family’s meals and taking care
of the children.
Main activities
•
sweeping the house and its surroundings
•
dusting of furniture and making beds
•
going to the market and helping to prepare the family’s meal
•
washing, drying and ironing clothes
•
washing and feeding the children and getting them ready for school
Prerequisite skills
As the house helper is working in an environment which must be clean and
deals with family members, good hygiene and communication skills are
indispensable (social competence, social behavior and self help skills). The
helper needs to be able to deal with electrical hazards (safety awareness),
and needs to be able to find and return from familiar places such as the
market (orientation and travel skills), even though she works mostly in the
same environment. Functional academics are of low importance but, like for
all professions, good motivation and work behavior are essential.
Main task areas
Sweeping the house and its surroundings
•
sweeps the yard and entrance of the house
•
sweeps the floor
•
mops up the bathroom and kitchen floor
Dusting of furniture and making beds
•
dusts the furniture in the living room
•
removes cobwebs from the ceiling and the walls
•
changes sheets and pillow cases and makes the beds
Going to the market and helping to prepare the family’s meal
•
goes to the market and buys required foodstuff as instructed
•
washes and slices vegetables
•
grinds pepper and tomatoes
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•
sets fire and put pots to boil
•
assists in cooking as needed
•
washes pots, pans and dishes after the meal has been served
Washing, drying and ironing clothes
•
fetches water from the tap
•
soaks the white clothing in an Omo solution or bleach to remove stains
•
washes clothing with soap vigorously rubbing the dirty parts together
•
•
dries rinsed wash on a clothes line or placing them on bushes
•
•
•
first irons the collar then other parts, making sure to avoid wrinkles
•
folds clothing neatly avoiding wrinkles
•
Washing and feeding the children and getting them ready for school
•
fetches water in a bucket
•
helps small children to wash and dry themselves
•
helps the smaller children get dressed
•
feeds smaller children with a spoon and gives them water to drink
•
accompanies smaller children to school and fetches at closing time
Take home share
A household helper can earn between 60 000 and 100 000 Cedis a month and
gets meals and sometimes old clothing as well as a place to sleep.
None as all the implements are provided by the family which she serves.
Risk of injuries
Minimal but the person can cut herself while peeling or chopping vegetables
or burn herself when cooking or ironing.
Safety measures
Supervision is needed, and a first aid kit should be available.
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Gender factors
Both sexes can work as a household helper, but this occupation is more
common for women especially when it concerns caring for smaller children.
Seasonality
It is an all year round job.
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5.6.8.
Garden boy
Takes care of a garden. He cuts, shapes and waters hedges and flowers and
helps grow vegetables.
Main activities
•
weeding and sweeping the compound
•
pruning and watering the hedges and flowers
•
making seed beds for nursing of seedlings
Prerequisite skills
For this job communication (social competence) and self help skills can be
very limited. As the person is neither dealing with fire, electrical appliances or
sharp objects, safety awareness can be elementary. This also applies to
functional academics and social behavior as well as travel and orientation
skills. However, good motivation and work behavior is important and medium
physical strength for carrying water can and the ability to work in a bent over
position for some time is necessary.
Main task areas
Weeding and sweeping the compound
•
weeds, rakes and sweeps the compound
•
rakes the leaves and burns them when necessary
•
sweeps the compound and throws away the rubbish
•
Pruning and watering the hedges and flowers
•
uses a cutlass or pruning shears to cut the hedges to equal height
•
collects the cuttings and carries them to the dump
•
uses a watering can or a hose to water hedges and flowers
•
sees to that the ground is moist but not waterlogged
•
uproots unwanted growth to avoid competition for nutrients
Making seed beds for nursing of seedlings
•
digs nursing beds to specific sizes as instructed
•
manures and mulches beds
•
plants seeds in given distances using a measuring stick
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•
waters the beds with a watering can or with a hose
•
transplant the seedlings from the nursing beds after some weeks onto
the designated spot
Take home share
A garden boy may earn a monthly allowance of about ¢150,000 to ¢250,000.
Cutlass, hoe, knife, watering can, garden fork, hand trowel with expenses at
current prices not over 200 000 Cedis. These tools could also be supplied by
the master.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but he can hurt himself with a cutlass and should be taught to watch
out for scorpions and snakes when working with the soil.
Safety measures
He should wear Wellington boots and learn to watch out for scorpions and
snakes.
Gender factors
This job can be performed by men and women
Seasonality
The garden boy can work throughout the year
220
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5.6.9.
Hairdresser’s assistant
Washes customers´ hair, helps in braiding, keeps the place clean and
maintains the objects used in a hairdressing place.
Main activities
•
washing hair
•
washing towels and rollers
•
helping in braiding and combing out old weave
•
Prerequisite skills
A hairdresser’s assistant needs to be clean (self care skills) and have a neat
appearance. As she has dealings with customers, she must show some social
competence such as in communicating, greeting and good social behavior. In
order to use a hair dryer, she must be aware of electrical hazards (safety
awareness). Also important are the abilities to find and walk to familiar places
such as the market when sent on errands (orientation and travel). Functional
academics except for distinguishing colors and length of objects are of slight
importance, as is physical strength and agility. However, good motivation and
work behaviors are essential.
Main task areas
Washing hair
•
positions the head of the client so that no water or soap can get into
the eyes or face
•
pours some water on the hair
•
pours some shampoo on the hair and rub gently with the finger tips
until it is well lathered
•
rinses and removes foam
•
if necessary, repeats several times
•
adds conditioner and rubs it into hair and scalp
•
combs hair gently
•
rinses with water and dries with a towel
Washing towels and rollers
•
fetches water in a bucket
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•
soaks towel in water
•
rubs soap on the towel and rubs dirty parts against each other until
they are clean
•
•
dries rinsed towels on a clothes line, a rack or placing them on bushes
Helping in braiding and combing out old weave
•
holds strands of weave in left hand firmly
•
uses a comb to part the weave
•
removes weak or split strands of artificial hair
•
divides strands of weave into three equal parts
•
braids by passing one strand over the other in a regular pattern
•
•
•
•
•
goes on errands to buy soap, weave and other items
Take home share
A hairdresser’s helper could be paid about ¢5,000 per day so at the end of
As the equipment is provided by the Madam, the assistant needs a uniform
and apron with the cost not exceeding 100 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but by constant immersion of the hands in water and chemical
products the skin may become irritated.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed.
Gender factors
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It is customary for females to work in this job.
Seasonality
Women go to the hairdresser all year round.
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5.6.10.
Houseboy
Helps take care of the immediate surroundings of the house and generally
makes himself useful.
Main activities
•
weeding around the house and watering the garden
•
sweeping the compound
•
opening and closing the gate
•
washing the car
Prerequisite skills
Since the houseboy interacts with visitors and family members, he needs a
relatively high skill level as concerns social competence (communication and
reaction to criticism), a neat and pleasing appearance (self help skills), and
he needs to be able to deal with electrical hazards and sharp objects (safety
awareness). Orientation and travel skills can be quite low as he mainly works
around the house. But, as with all jobs, good motivation and work behavior,
as well as medium physical strength and agility are important for succeeding
at this job.
Main task areas
Weeding around the house and watering the garden
•
removes weeds around the path and flower beds with a cutlass
•
waters the flowers with a watering can
•
uses a water hose to sprinkle the grass
Sweeping the compound
•
rakes the leaves and burns them when necessary
•
sweeps the compound and throws away the rubbish
•
Opening and closing the gate
•
welcomes and announces visitors
•
opens and closes gates for the master’s car
•
keeps a watchful eye on the house
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Washing the car
•
fetches water and adds soap
•
washes the body of the car with soapy water
•
removes rubber mats and brushes the interior
•
washes the car windows and wipes off the interior
•
scrubs the tires with a brush
Take home share
A house boy may earn a monthly allowance between ¢100,000 to ¢300,000
depending on the wealth of the family he serves.
Cutlass, hoe, rake, bucket, brush watering can and hose are supplied by the
master, so there is no need for investments.
Risk of injuries
Are low, except for possible accidents while weeding.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed but, in general, a first aid box should
be available in the house.
Gender factors
The job of a house boy, as the name suggests, is an occupation for boys or
for men. Girls or women also work in this field but are more occupied in
helping with cooking and the children (see house girl).
Seasonality
It is an all year round occupation.
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5.6.11.
Refuse collector’s helper
Moves from house to house and from street to street to collect refuse into a
cart and transports it to a suitable site for dumping.
Main activities
•
collecting refuse from house to house and from street to street
•
depositing trash at a refuse dump
Prerequisite skills
A refuse collector’s helper can have only limited social skills (ex. can
communicate by gestures) but needs to be willing to assist and accept some
criticism. He needs only limited self-care a skills, as the job itself is not clean,
but must be able to wash carefully after work. The only safety hazards could
be cutting oneself with sharp objects such as broken glass. Orientation and
travel skills are important, as the helper roams about gathering rubbish.
Functional
academics
are
of
no
importance,
however,
responsibility,
motivation and work behavior must be given and a certain degree of physical
strength and agility is needed for pushing or dragging the cart.
Main task areas
Collecting refuse from house to house and from street to street
•
pushes a wheelbarrow round in the community to collect refuse or pulls
a cart from house to house
•
lifts the dustbin and empties the trash into the cart
•
makes sure there is no refuse left in the trash bin and sweeps the
ground around the dustbin
Depositing trash at a refuse dump
•
when the vehicle is full wheels it to the refuse dump
•
empties the refuse into the dump making sure there is none left in the
cart
•
pushes or pulls the cart to the next house where trash has not yet been
emptied
•
226
collects his fees at the end of the week or month
________________________________________________________________________________________
Take home share
Depends on the number of houses served but can go up to 200 000 Cedis a
month.
Wheelbarrow or cart, shovel, broom, nose mask, refuse pincher, hand gloves
with investments of up to 350 000 Cedis at present prices
Risk of injuries
Low, but collecting refuse can be a health risk if it contains diseased
organisms or broken bottles and glass.
Safety measures
During collection and transport he must avoid direct contact with refuse by
wearing gloves. In the case of strong odors or extreme dust he should wear
mouth and nose protection and be instructed to wash thoroughly after work.
Gender factors
Seasonality
Collecting rubbish is an all year round job.
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5.6.12.
Sales assistant
Helps in unpacking boxes, storing wares on the shop’s shelves, carrying
customers´ packages to their cars, sweeping and cleaning the store.
Main activities
•
unpacking and storing goods in the shelves
•
putting items for customers into bags and carrying them to a taxi
•
keeping the store neat
Prerequisite skills
Since the assistant deals with customers, a neat and pleasing appearance
(self help skills), good communication (social competence), and positive
social behavior are a must. As there are no specific hazards, the need for
safety awareness is low, except for being able to deal with sharp instruments
such as razor blades or knifes. A medium level of functional academics, such
as picture reading and counting quantities up to 20 is an advantage.
Orientation and travel skills as well as physical strength and agility can be
moderate. But, as in all occupations, good motivation and work behavior are
a must in order to find work.
Main task areas
Unpacking and storing goods on the shelves
•
carries boxes and bundles into the store
•
uses a razor blade or a knife to slit open the cello tape seal
•
removes the content of the box and stacks it into the appropriate
shelves
•
brings the empty boxes outside and stores them in a designated place
Putting items for customers into bags and carrying them to a taxi
•
stands beside the cashier and places items into a rubber bag
•
avoids packing too many items into a bag, so it will not tear
•
carries the bags to the customers car or a roadside taxi
Keeping the store neat
•
•
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•
dusts the shelves and tables in the shop
•
Take home share
A sales assistant could be paid about ¢5,000 per day so at the end of the
month, the assistant will receive about ¢150,000.
All the equipment, such as broom, duster or ceiling brush as well as a razor
blade or scissors is provided by the shop owner.
Risk of injuries
Are low, but the person can cut himself when opening boxes with a sharp
tool.
Safety measures
No specific safety measures are needed.
Gender factors
Males and females can work in this job.
Seasonality
Shops operate all year round.
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5.6.13.
Second hand shoe seller’s helper
Washes, dries and polishes imported second hand shoes for sale at the
market.
Main activities
•
washing and drying shoes in the sun
•
polishing the shoes
•
exhibiting shoes for sale and storing them for the night
Prerequisite skills
In order to attract customers, the helper must have a neat and pleasing
appearance (self help skills) and communicate well (social competence). He
must show good social behavior and needs some skills in travel and
orientation as he will need to move around in his job. There are almost no
safety risks in this job, and functional academics are only important as
concerns dealing with money and making change. Physical strength and
agility can be limited but good motivation and work behavior is a must.
Main task areas
Washing and drying shoes in the sun
•
fetches water from a tap in a bucket
•
cleans the shoes with a rag dipped in soapy clean smelling water
•
sets the shoes on a clean surface to dry
Polishing the shoes
•
applies shoe polish and when necessary leather die with a rag
•
spreads the polish smoothly all over the surface leather
•
rubs the polish into the leather with a rag
•
uses brush or rag to polish shoe leather until it shines
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Exhibiting shoes for sale and storing them for the night
•
puts the shoes in rows on the pavement in the market
•
stuffs the shoes with newspaper to smooth out the wrinkles in the
leather
•
sets them up in pairs and categories: children’s, women’s and men’s
shoes
•
bundles the shoes in bags for the night and stores them in a safe place
Take home share
Monthly earnings can come to about 150 000 Cedis.
Bucket, soap, polish, brush, rags, a chair. The investments without the cost
of used shoes amount to a little over 100 000 Cedis at present prices.
Risk of injuries
No risks.
Safety measures
No specific measures necessary except being attentive.
Gender factors
Both sexes can sell second hand shoes.
Seasonality
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5.6.14.
Ward assistant
Keeps a hospital ward or community centre clean by making beds, sweeping
and mopping floors and dusting the furniture.
Main activities
•
sweeping and mopping the floor
•
dusting and cleaning furniture
•
dressing beds
•
weeding and keeping the surroundings tidy
Prerequisite skills
As the assistant is working in an environment which must be clean and deals
with customers or patients, good hygiene and communication skills are
indispensable (social competence, social behavior and self help skills). The
helper needs to be able to deal with electrical hazards (safety awareness).
However, his orientation and travel skills can be quite limited, as he will be
working in the same environment. Functional academics are of low
importance, but, like for all professions, good motivation and work behavior
are essential.
Main task areas
Sweeping and mopping the floor
•
sweeps the wards rooms and surroundings of the centre
•
scrubs gutters and floors
•
mops the floor
Dusting and cleaning furniture
•
dusts the furniture and the louvers
•
washes the louvers with soap and water when needed
•
removes cow webs from the ceiling and walls
Dressing beds
•
makes the beds
•
removes the dirty linen
•
carries the soiled bed sheets to the laundry
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Weeding and keeping the surroundings tidy
•
weeds around the building
•
sweeps the paths to the ward
•
empties rubbish bin
•
carries the trash to the refuse dump
Take home share
A ward cleaner in a hospital or community centre can earn up to 300 000
Cedis a month.
The following implements are provided by the hospital or community centre
so no investments are needed: broom, rags, plastic buckets, disinfectant,
mop, rubber gloves and soap.
Risk of injuries
The person can slip on a wet floor or hurt himself weeding but, in general,
risks are low.
Safety measures
Supervision is necessary and the ward assistant must learn to be careful
around wet and slippery surfaces.
Gender factors
Both sexes can become ward cleaners.
Seasonality
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ORGANIZING TRANSITION AND SUPPORT
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VI. ORGANIZING TRANSITION AND SUPPORT
Following the American example, there have been numerous descriptions of
setting up a transition team and developing a written Individualized
Vocational Transition Plan (IVTP) (Thressiakutty & Rao, 2001, 41-45).In
these publications, emphasis is put on the multidisciplinary composition of
the transition team and a written plan, which specifies long t and short-term
objectives.
In frequent meetings, these persons are to work out and follow up a plan for
individual transition, a strategy which sounds compelling. However, under the
given circumstances on the ground in Ghana, this can lead to cumbersome
and ineffective procedures. Arranging meetings for a large number of persons
and demanding written documents can be time consuming. Often the persons
chosen to attend will not actually give any practical support for solving the
problems at hand. Medical, therapeutic, special education and social services
as well as vocational training options or employment opportunities from local
businesses are usually quite limited for mentally handicapped school leavers
in the community. In addition, some of these persons will want compensation
for their time as well as travel expenses. Typing and distributing a written
transition plan can be an extra burden. This is why we suggest a pragmatic
procedure that reduces meeting time and written documents to a practical
minimum.
6.1.
Transition Team
The people discussing the vocational options of the handicapped school leaver
should obviously be those who know the person best and who have a real
stake in his future.
Ideal core team members include:
•
the special educator who has taught the person for some time
•
the parents or guardians
•
the young person himself
•
and, if possible the person who will guide the graduate on the work
site.
In some cases advice must be sought from professionals, i.e. what type of
work is not dangerous for a person with epileptic seizures, what technical aids
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can help a person with low vision in performing a specific job, etc. In many
cases, however, this information can be organized before the meeting by the
special educator so that the professional person will not need to spend time
and money to attend the meeting.
This book is written with the assumption in mind, that the person with a
disability visits a special class in a regular school in the community and has
continued to live with his family. This implies that the special educator is in
relatively frequent contact with the family and is aware of the job
opportunities in the community.
Transition from a segregated boarding school is a different and complex
issue, especially if the parents live far away, do not see their child often and
meetings with additional travel costs are involved.
6.2.
Information needed
The process of transition starts from the special class in which the graduate is
being taught. The special educator can bring in specific information:
•
Results of the assessment of interests and abilities based on the
students performance in the classroom as well as varied vocational
activities.
•
What support the person needs when working ( see check list in the
annex)
The parents or guardians of the child can add their contribution to this
assessment and give additional information as to:
•
What kind of work is available in the extended family setting (see check
list in the annex) which the handicapped school leaver could fit into.
•
Which person could be asked to train and supervise the individual on
the work site
The handicapped school leaver himself can express his own point of view if
possible and describe his preferences, hopes and dreams.
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6.3.
Results and discussion
If all persons concerned agree on the interests, abilities and opportunities
available for the handicapped school leaver, a stepwise procedure for
transition can be arranged.
This could be done according to the following schedule:
•
The special educator visits the future job site- if he has not already
done so before- to look at the tasks that must be accomplished.
•
Using task analysis, he carefully analyses the different main activities
(see the procedure for task analysis in this handbook and look at the
examples given for different vocational options).
•
In his analysis he concentrates on core work routines that occur very
frequently or daily in a job in order to see which of these skills must
still be trained.
•
In addition, he notes which work behaviors expected from a worker
such as punctuality, getting along with co-workers, being able to stand
time pressure, etc. are necessary for the job at hand.
•
Also work related skills associated with successful performance but
not directly linked to the job itself must be analyzed. For example, as
already mentioned, someone working in agriculture must be able to
find his way to the outlying fields where yams are being planted
(orientation and mobility skills), must be capable of identifying labels
that signal “Poison” when spraying plants (functional academics), etc.
•
After this visit and an analysis of the job, a suggestion can be made as
to which specific tasks the young person can handle and a person
identified who will monitor and support the job activity.
•
It is especially important to emphasize that the tasks assigned should
be within the ability of the person so that he will achieve success. Also,
the work should not be too heavy or unpleasant so the person will not
lose heart. If only extremely heavy and dirty work is assigned, and the
person is frequently scolded and criticized, we need not be surprised, if
he gives up easily.
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The individual transition plan
Just like a weekly lesson plan which teachers are accustomed to, the
individual transition plan outlines:
•
where the training takes place
•
what skills are being trained and
•
who is responsible for the training
Again the intention is to sketch out a framework that eliminates unnecessary
paperwork but makes clear:
•
what should be done
•
by whom
•
where and
•
in which amount of time.
Let us take the example of a young girl, who is going to learn how to help
her mother with grilling plantains (see Plantain griller’s helper in the
chapter 5.5. FOOD PREPARATION AND PROCESSING).A simple Individualized
Vocational Transition Plan could look like this:
Name of Trainee:
Training duration:
Comfort
1 Year
Person responsible at school:
Person responsible at work site:
Training
site
Schedule
School
Duration
1st Term
Age:
Job site:
David
Mother Agatha
2nd Term
16 Years
Before House No 3
Chartey street
3rd Term
Remarks
Four days a Two days a One day a week
week
week
Objectives Safety
Equal length Safety measures,
length,
measures
and money equal
money skills
skills
Job site
Duration
One day a
Three days a Four days a week
week
week
Objectives Lighting fire, Tending fire, Tending fire,
fanning the
peeling and
peeling plantains,
embers,
cutting
grilling plantain
adding
plantain to
and dealing with
charcoal
equal pieces customers *
* These activities do need to be accomplished simultaneously. It is desirable that
the trainee masters all these skills but, in order to be useful in this job, one or
two skills could be sufficient.
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It is obvious that such a schedule will only work, if there is communication
between the school and the job site in order to deal with any problems that
come along. In community based schools this is relatively easy to achieve as
the distance between the home and the school is not great.
Basically the job of the school consists of checking if the prerequisite skills
which the young person needs on this specific job have been acquired for
each task. These skills can be reinforced by discussing proper behavior for
example safety skills, by setting tasks at school that practice these skills and
finally by observing the person on the job to give additional hints and
feedback.
Very often people expect a young person not to learn a task in small steps
such as we have shown in task analysis but to grasp the whole procedure in
one complete process. If there is no immediate success even teachers of
mentally retarded children often conclude: “This person cannot learn anything
at all!” It is the job of the teacher to demonstrate to the coworkers that
through teaching a skill step by step complex tasks can be learned.
In addition the teacher can introduce simple techniques for learning some of
the skills.
For example the trainee can be taught to cut pieces of plantain of equal
length by marking a given length on the cutting board. The child is then
shown how to align the peeled plantain to the cutting board and use the
marks to measure the desired length of plantain.
An empty tin can be used to measure the amount of charcoal to be added to
the fire etc. etc.
Last not least there still exists a tendency to believe that by frequent
criticism, shouting and even caning a person will acquire skills. Children are
seen as inherently lazy that must be forced to learn. This is obviously not
true.
The teacher should be a model of patience, of being able to judge, how big a
step a child can learn and what techniques can be used to give assistance to
the acquisition of a skill. He should demonstrate by his behavior the
respect for the efforts of the pupil and show optimism for the trainee’s ability
to learn and do worthwhile work.
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Finalizing transition
In the preface to this handbook we stated, that decent work was the goal of
transition. This can be achieved by carefully guiding young mentally
handicapped school leavers in analyzing their abilities, their interests and the
opportunities open to them.
As we spend most of our waking hours at work, integration into society is to
a large extent defined by actively pursuing some activity which is of use to
the people around us. Being active in whatever small way and helping with
the tasks at hand increases the self esteem of the person and the acceptance
by others.
Only those persons familiar with the school leaver and the person himself can
decide at what point in time transition from school to work has been
achieved. Usually a period of one year should be sufficient to reach this goal.
In some cases the time could be shorter and in a few cases where a lot of
back up and support is needed time could be extended.
However, a regular contact and follow up of former pupils by the school
should be the norm. In a community-based school, this can be achieved by
casual encounters at the market in the streets or just passing by the parents’
home. In addition, a school could invite former pupils to certain events such
as game activities, festive occasions such as Christmas or Easter etc. It is not
the task of a school to keep mentally handicapped adults in special schools
forever. However, schools do have a responsibility for seeing to it that their
former pupils live a decent life.
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AN OUTLINE OF PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING
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VII. AN OUTLINE OF PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING
It has been underlined many times over, that a school for mentally
handicapped children in Ghana should not attempt to train pupils in specific
professions in which they must perform independently after graduation. Units
or schools for mentally handicapped children have neither the resources nor
the skilled personnel who would be able to train for specific professions. This
training cannot be done in a school environment .A real life situation is
needed where goods are produced and sold to customers in a competitive
market or services rendered in a community setting. It does not seem
feasible to train for the role of a helper in all the numerous activities we have
described. We need to take into account the setting in which these jobs will
be performed and the persons with whom the school leaver will work.
This is especially true for residential schools that have very limited contact
with parents and the community of origin. After leaving school, the graduate
will necessarily go back to the community and will need to be fitted into his
family’s economic activities.
However, quite a number of prerequisite skills for many of the job activities
that have been listed can be trained at school as well as the majority of basic
skills that are the core elements of many of the simple jobs we have
described in the preceding chapter.
The procedure of identifying these prerequisite, readiness skills and core
skills for many vocational activities will be explained in the following chapter.
7.1.
An analysis of basic vocational skills
In the description of job activities available to persons with a mental handicap
we have distinguished between prerequisite and task skills.
Prerequisite skills are those which make it likely that a person can be
trained
for
a
certain
job.
Examples
include
physical
strength
and
communication skills. It has been the experience of many teachers and
parents that there are limits to development. A person who is quite frail in his
physical build will not be able to work as a blacksmith’s helper. A person who
has speech difficulties will not be able to succeed in a job in which
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communication with customers is essential. This applies to any human being
whether handicapped or not and is probably the reason why some have
decided to become a teachers and not nuclear scientists or professional
football players.
Prerequisite skills
The Winneba Vocational Readiness Scale (Kniel, A. & Kniel-Jurka, C.
2006) that is modeled after the work of Cornelius & Ruckman (1998) contains
a list of eight subscales that measure the extent of readiness in areas that
are prerequisite for many practical vocational activities in the informal sector
in Ghana.
This scale can be used to assess the level of readiness of an individual pupil
in different skill areas as well as in defining objectives which should be
achieved so that the future graduate can follow a certain vocation. It can also
be used to eliminate vocational activities for which the young person does not
have the necessary prerequisite skills and where even when trained is not
likely to achieve the necessary level of competence. For example, no matter
how much we train a pupil with cerebral palsy it is not likely that this child
will be able to perform well in a job that demands accelerated fine motor
skills.
No matter how well we educate a mentally handicapped school leaver with an
additional hearing impairment, a job which demands constant verbal
communication with customers is not suited for this person.
All the vocations we have looked at are characterized by specific demands on
readiness skills which make it likely that a person can be trained on site for
this activity. But we can still generalize as to those prerequisite skills that are
common for the six vocational domains we have described in detail:
•
Animal rearing
•
Crop farming
•
Crafts involving light physical labor
•
Crafts involving heavy physical labor
•
Food preparation and processing
•
Services and commerce
We can distinguish between three levels of importance of prerequisite skills
for animal rearing:
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•
those abilities where a low level of skill is possible and which are not so
important
•
those skills that are important for some but not for all jobs, and
•
those abilities which are important in any type of animal rearing and
where a sufficient skills level is necessary.
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7.2.
Prerequisite skills in animal rearing
Not so important
Important for some
Important sufficient level
low skill level possible
but not all jobs
necessary
Social interaction
Social interaction (willingness to
(communication and
help and social behavior)
greeting)
Self care (toileting,
Self care (personal hygiene)
eating, grooming)
Safety awareness
Safety awareness (use of sharp
(electrical & fire
objects, threats by animals)
hazards)
Orientation and travel
Task behavior
(direction and
(orientation in the
(responsibility, reaction to
signboards, public
community, traffic
instruction, criticism)
transport)
hazards)
Functional academics
(reading & writing,
(money skills)
(measurement)
number skills)
Motivation and work behavior
(perseverance, willingness,
punctuality, remaining in
workplace)
Physical strength and agility
(lifting and carrying, walking and
running, holding and grasping,
bending and balancing)
Quite simply, we can conclude that those persons will probably succeed in
working with animals that:
•
show good motivation and work behavior,
•
have the necessary safety awareness for dangers associated with the
job,
•
are of medium physical strength and agility,
•
have a grasp of numbers and
•
are willing to help, follow instructions and show responsible behavior
and accept criticism.
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Formal academics skills, verbal competence and sociable behavior as well as
a pleasing, neat appearance and good hygiene are desirable but not essential
for this type of job.
7.3.
Prerequisite skills in crop farming
As the following table shows, the prerequisite skills for vegetable farming are
identical to those of animal rearing.
Not so important
Important for some
but not all jobs
Social interaction
Social interaction (willingness
(communication and
to help and social behavior)
necessary
greeting)
Self care (personal
eating, grooming)
hygiene)
Safety awareness
(electrical & fire
objects, threats by animals)
hazards)
Task behavior
(direction and
(orientation in the
signboards, public
community, traffic
transport)
hazards)
Functional academics (number
(reading & writing)
(money skills)
and measurement skills)
workplace)
(lifting and carrying, walking
and running, holding and
grasping, bending& balancing)
We can conclude that in the majority of cases, those pupils that are likely to
be able to do farm work can learn to raise animals and grow vegetables as
well.
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7.4.
Prerequisite skills in crafts:
light or heavy physical labor
We can easily see the difference in prerequisite skills as they relate to crafts
which involve light or heavy physical labor:
Prerequisite skills in crafts involving light physical labor
Not so important
Important for some
but not all jobs
necessary
Social interaction
(communication and
greeting)
Self care (toileting, eating,
grooming)
Safety awareness
Safety awareness (fire
Safety awareness (use of
(electrical hazards)
hazards, threats by
sharp objects)
wild animals)
Task behavior
(direction and signboards,
(orientation in the
public transport)
community, traffic
hazards)
(reading & writing)
(measurement and
(numbers)
number skills)
Social Behaviour
workplace)
High degree of physical
strength and agility (lifting
and carrying, walking and
running, holding and
grasping, bending&
balancing)
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Prerequisite skills in crafts involving heavy physical labor
Not so important
Important for some
but not all jobs
necessary
Social competence
(communication and
greeting)
personal hygiene,
eating, grooming)
hazards, threats by
wild animals)
Task behavior
public transport)
(reading & writing,
addition, subtraction)
workplace)
Physical agility (holding and
grasping, bending and
balancing)
Most crafts involving light labor feature some contact with the public so that
some social competence in communication and greeting, as well as a neat
and acceptable appearance, seem necessary. These aspects do not seem
very important for most crafts involving heavy physical labor. In addition,
there are a variety of safety hazards of which a person in these jobs must be
aware, whereas in most forms of light physical labor workers only need to be
alert to one type of hazard.
It is quite obvious that the main distinction between these two forms of work
lies in the area of motor skills demanded. Crafts involving heavy physical
labor demand a high degree of physical strength and mastery of gross motor
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skills. In crafts which involve light physical labor, fine motor skills are more in
the foreground.
7.6. Prerequisite skills in food preparation and
processing
Not so important
Important for some but
not all jobs
necessary
Social competence
Social interaction
(communication and
(willingness to help and
greeting)
social behavior)
personal hygiene, eating,
personal hygiene, eating,
grooming)
grooming
hazards, threats by animals)
sharp objects, fire
hazards)
Task behavior
(orientation in the
public transport)
community, traffic
hazards)
(reading & writing)
(measurement and
(number skills)
money skills)
Motivation and work
behavior (perseverance,
willingness, punctuality,
remaining in workplace)
Physical strength and
agility (lifting and
carrying, walking and
running, holding and
grasping, bending and
balancing)
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In contrast to the other vocational areas we have analyzed up to now, the
prerequisite skills that have to do with self care are most important when
preparing food. The person needs to be clean and have a pleasing
appearance in order to attract customers. This area involves using a knife or
scraper, setting and cooking on a fire, as well as lifting and carrying medium
weights. Only pupils who have a certain degree of competence in these areas
could be oriented towards working in food preparation and processing.
7.7.
Prerequisite skills in services and commerce
Not so important
Important for some but
not all jobs
necessary
Social interaction
(communication and greeting,
willingness to help and social
behavior)
Self care (toileting, personal
hygiene, eating, grooming
Safety awareness
(threats by animals)
sharp objects, fire &
objects, fire hazards)
electrical hazards
Task behavior
(direction and
(orientation in the
signboards, public
community, traffic
instruction, acceptance of
transport)
hazards)
criticism)
Functional academics (number
(reading & writing)
(measurement and
skills)
money skills)
workplace)
Physical strength and
agility (walking and
(lifting and carrying, holding
running, bending and
and grasping)
balancing)
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As commerce and services for the most part includes dealing with the public,
social competence and good self care skills are important in order to attract
clients. Physical strength and agility again is mainly important in the fine
motor domain. The areas of functional academics that are especially
important concern, dealing with money and making change, as well as
measuring skills. This, by the way, is exactly the same for the majority of
those Ghanaians who are illiterate and are working successfully in commerce
and services in the informal sector.
7.8.
The school curriculum and prerequisite skills
for vocations
If one of the primary goals of school is to prepare pupils for a productive life,
we can draw some interesting conclusions from our analysis of prerequisite
skills for those jobs that are accessible for mentally handicapped school
leavers.
It is evident, that for any type of job the following three prerequisite skill
areas seem very important:
Task behavior
•
Responsibility, i.e. being careful with equipment that is used for the job
•
Following instructions
•
Tolerance of criticism, i.e. accepting criticism and correcting work
behavior as instructed
•
Perseverance, i.e. being able to work without stopping for longer
periods of time
•
Willingness, i.e. being open to take up any assignment given
•
Punctuality
•
Remaining in the workplace
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Social Interaction
•
Offering help when asked either when prompted or spontaneously
•
Showing age and culturally appropriate behavior towards others
Those children who have learned these skills at school have the best chances
of satisfying their employer at work.
So any activities offered at school that foster these skills are of great benefit
for the future.
In fact in the aforementioned study of Suresh & Santhanam (2002), it was
found that a strong positive relationship exists between these work traits and
success at given tasks in a vocational setting for mentally handicapped
persons in India.
This is not to say, that other prerequisite skills should not be developed in the
school context. Good communication skills, physical strength and agility,
travel and orientation skills , safety awareness and functional academics (
numbers, measurement and money skills) are also important as prerequisites
for certain jobs. But given the competition for simple jobs in the Ghanaian
labor market, the most obvious advantage a mentally handicapped person
would have are willingness to work hard and continuously, carefully following
instructions and being ready to help whenever asked.
In fact, these are the traits which encourage employers in industrialized
countries to hire mentally handicapped workers for simple jobs. They seem to
be more dedicated to their work if treated well than some of the
nonhandicapped competitors.
In order to prepare pupils in units or schools for the mentally handicapped,
we should select elements of the curriculum that fit the demands of their
future life situation. This means that instead of copying letters, we would
need to concentrate on reading common sight words which the pupils will
encounter in the community. Instead of attempting to teach formal written
number work, counting and sorting objects as to size and shape as well as
money skills should be in the foreground. In sports and physical education
building strength and agility is a priority.
In the following chapter we will attempt to show how these skills can be
developed in a two year pre-vocational training program. This program does
not aim to train for a specific profession but tries to develop interests and
abilities by offering a variety of different projects in the last two school years.
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AN OUTLINE OF A PREVOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM
________________________________________________________________________________________
VIII. AN OUTLINE OF A PREVOCATIONAL TRAINING
PROGRAM
Not much has changed since Hayford (2001) studied pre-vocational activities
offered in four schools for mentally handicapped children in Ghana. Schools
are still mostly active in the following areas: basketry, farming, batik and
envelope making.
Let us first look at the basic skills involved in the activity areas we have just
analyzed: farming (animal rearing and vegetable growing), crafts, food
preparation/processing, commerce and services.
After looking at the basic skills in these five work areas we will present a
selection of activities for prevocational training. These are basic work
processes which could be inexpensively offered at every unit or special school
for mentally handicapped children in Ghana in a two-year pre-vocational
program.
Please look carefully at the table to judge, what basic elements all these
vocational activities have in common even though different specific skills are
necessary to perform each job.
8.1.
Task skills common to all vocational areas
251
Animal Rearing
Vegetable growing
Crafts
Food preparation
Services/ commerce
Sorting and
Sorting seeds and plants
Sorting materials as
Sorting food materials as to
Sorting materials as to size,
distinguishing different
according to type, size,
to size, color, length
quality, soaking and sieving
color, length, shape and quality
materials (foodstuff,
maturity etc. Identifying
shape and quality
grains, flour
leaves, etc.)
plants ripe for harvesting
Measuring and mixing
Measuring and mixing
Measuring and
Measuring and mixing using a
Measuring sewing, gluing,
materials (feed, manure
quantities and assisting in
mixing quantities of
measuring bowl, to add specific
braiding, cutting out shapes
etc.) so that they are
fertilizing
material
quantities
Carrying, fetching and
Carrying and storing
Carrying, loading,
Carrying materials to a specific
Carrying, loading, storing and
storing feed, water and
tools and crops, watering
storing and stacking
location, i.e. the grinding mill.
stacking bundling, finished
products, i.e. eggs
plants
bundling, finished
Packaging, stacking, bundling,
products and raw material
products and raw
storing finished products and
materials
raw material
evenly distributed
Cleaning and sweeping
Clearing the land and
Cleaning and
Cleaning and sweeping and
Cleaning brushing, sweeping,
and bringing away waste
weeding
sweeping and bringing
bringing away waste materials
weeding, dusting mopping and
bringing away waste materials
away waste materials
materials
Washing, rinsing, and drying
Cutting grass and other
Planting seeds, seedling
Cutting, splitting,
Cutting, peeling, chopping,
feed
in an even distance and
sanding, polishing
scraping, cracking food materials
depth of hole
shaping materials to a
given size
Setting and using a fire
Setting and using a
Setting and using a fire for
Using a charcoal or electric iron
for preparing feed
fire for burning
frying, cooking and bringing
Lighting charcoal for a box iron
charcoal or for boiling
water to a boil
oil, water, wax etc.
252
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It seems clear that even though specific task skills make up each occupation,
some generic task skills that are common to the different vocational areas
can be identified. Sorting, for example, refers to distinguishing different
materials depending on whether the person is engaged in:
•
farming (seedlings, grains, etc.),
•
crafts (i.e., pieces of glass in different colors in bead making),
•
food preparation (good from spoilt corn) or
•
services (dirty or clean clothing) .
This skill seems to be necessary for task success in most jobs. So in
practicing these skills by being exposed to a number of different activities in
the pre-vocational phase of schooling, the pupil not only can test his abilities
and interests in different fields but also learn to generalize skills over several
areas.
However the reader should be aware, that one of the specific traits of
mentally
handicapped
persons
is
that
learning
is
situation
specific.
Generalization, i.e. transferring learning from one setting to the other for
example from the classroom to the home that we do easily in most cases is
not accomplished naturally (for a detailed discussion see Berkson, 1993, 149172, Graziano, 2002, 204-214). That is why the same skills must be
practiced over and over again in different settings such as those different
vocational activities which we suggest should be included in the prevocational program.
8.2.
Criteria for selecting pre-vocational activities
in the Ghanaian setting
If we select a number of pre-vocational activities to be offered on a regular
basis in units and schools, we need to select these according to the following
criteria:
•
Low cost of materials and tools
•
Local raw material easily available
•
No specific skill or knowledge necessary for teachers
253
________________________________________________________________________________________
•
Relatively easy tasks which can be subdivided into specific tasks for
children of all ages and abilities
•
Products can be used in the school or consumed by the children
themselves
•
Several basic skills can be acquired in each activity
Units or schools for the mentally handicapped receive almost no subsidies
from the government, and in the majority rely on funds from NGOs or
donations. It is not an easy task to offer a variety of activities which can
develop those generic skills which are important for future jobs. In addition
activities that can be offered depend on the location and amount of land, the
availability of water etc. in the unit or school.
Following the criteria we have outlined, the following activities could be
considered for a two- year pre-vocational training program:
•
Crop raising (tomatoes, beans, peppers)
•
Animal husbandry (snails, rabbits)
•
Crafts: (broom making, soap making)
•
Domestic services (clothes washing and mending, regular cleaning of
the classroom and compound)
•
Food preparation (groundnut roasting, preparing a simple meal once a
week with the older children)
All these activities are simple, and the materials can be gathered for free or
bought at low cost. Most teachers know how to teach these skills and will not
require specific training. Parents could be encouraged to contribute some of
the necessary materials.
Some of the skills taught in each of these activities are listed in the following
table:
254
________________________________________________________________________________________
Activity
Task Skills
Growing
Sorting seeds and plants according to type, size, maturity etc
tomatoes,
Measuring size of nursery bed, distance and depth of planting seeds.
beans,
Mixing top soil and fertilizer, manure or black earth
pepper
Carrying watering can and tools
Clearing the land and weeding
Cutting branches for making a shade roof
Raising
Sorting different types of feed (grass, leaves, peels, kitchen left-overs)
snails or
Measuring of pit, quantity of feed and water
rabbits
Mixing feed
Carrying water and feed
Cleaning washing food trays, removing feces and old food
Cutting grass and collecting leaves
Broom
Sorting branches as to length and strength
making
Measuring length of risps, length of string for tying
Carrying branches from the bush, brooms to the market
Cleaning work area, sweeping the floor
Cutting length of broom sticks, length of string
Groundnut
Sorting groundnuts as to quality
roasting
Measuring Necessary amount of sand, of groundnuts to be roasted
Mixing sand and groundnuts for roasting
Carrying sand, charcoal, groundnuts for roasting
Cleaning removing groundnut shells, burnt charcoal, sweeping the
worksite
Setting fire for roasting
Class
Sorting dirty and clean clothing, clothing that is in order or must be
clothes
mended
washing,
Measuring the amount of water and soap, the length of thread, size of
mending
buttons etc. to be used
and
Carrying water to the wash site
ironing
Cleaning rubbing clothing until it is clean
day
Setting charcoal aglow for ironing
Depending on the school facilities, the geographical location of the school, as
well as the available ground for gardening or farm work, other simple
activities could also be chosen for pre-vocational training.
255
________________________________________________________________________________________
A possible schedule with increasing levels of difficulty could be as follows:
Clothes
Vegetable
Raising
a).Groundnut
Crafts:
washing
growing
snails
roasting
broom
or rabbits
b).Meal
making
day
cooking
Beginners
Intermediate
a).Shelling
Removing
and
groundnuts
sticks form
drying
b).Cleaning
the palm
pots and pans
fronds
Washing
Watering
Cleaning
Washing
Planting
Watering
a).Preparing
Cutting
and
and
and
fire, roasting
branches in
ironing
weeding
feeding
b).Working with
the bush,
fire
removing
branches
Before
Washing,
Making
Mixing feed
a).Preparing
Measuring,
graduation
ironing
nursery
etc.
paste, whole
shaping,
and
beds,
watering,
cycle
tying the
mending
selecting
feeding,
b).Preparing a
broom
plants,
mending
complete meal
harvesting
fences etc.
etc.
All pupils independent of their age should participate according to their level
of skill in the weekly clothes washing and mending day.
All other pre-vocational activities could follow a sequence. Vegetable growing,
animal raising, crafts and food preparation and crafts such as broom making
could be offered to a small group of pre-vocational students. These students
could move on to another area after three to four months so that at the end
of these two years, their interests and abilities in these different occupations
would be quite clear to them, their families and the teachers.
It should again be underlined that the goal of this pre-vocational phase is not
to make the pupils proficient in all these skill areas and then send them on
the job market to work independently. The intention is to train the basic skills
common to most vocational activities and help parents and the pupils
themselves test their abilities. By this method, the choice of a future
occupation will be based on experience.
256
________________________________________________________________________________________
8.3.
Time Frame
A pre-vocational training program with the intention of fitting the child into
the available job structure of the family and community environment should
consist of several steps:
1. A two- year period where the majority of school time is devoted to the
projects previously outlined (School based vocational project phase).
2. A job shadowing program, where children are attached for a short
period to real life activities in the community to see what they are capable
of and where their interests lie.
3. An onsite training program where in the third year, future graduates
are trained in a vocational skill in a real life situation in the community and
slowly progress from part-time to full-time work.
8.4.
School based vocational project phase
In this phase, all the children age 15 and above would successively be
introduced to the activities described above. The goal consists of training
them in the basic skills that are at the root of most vocational activities.
Depending on the individual school setting, other activities could be
introduced. For example, if palm oil is cheaply available in the region, soap
making could be practiced in the school and the soap cakes used for the
school washing day. The area used for growing vegetables or raising snails or
rabbits needs to be fenced in order to prevent theft and destruction. In this,
case pupils could learn to make fences out of sticks or erect a compound wall
with mud bricks. It is clear, that the school based vocational project phase
depends on local circumstances. Parents can also be asked to make a
contribution of their knowledge and skills as well as donate the necessary
materials.
In addition, in the school-based vocational project phase on-site visits with
small groups of pupils to different jobs locations in the community should be
257
________________________________________________________________________________________
organized. The pupils could spend some time watching parents or other
community members at work to get an idea of different professions. Parents
and other community members could be asked to explain their work to the
pupils so that other activities than those in the vocational projects of the
schools would be experienced.
8.5.
Job shadowing program
Job shadowing permits an individual student to spend one or two days
observing (shadowing) a person or a team at work. Depending on the level of
difficulty, the student may even be given an opportunity to try his hand at
specified tasks. The person to whom the student is assigned must be willing
to supervise these activities. Job shadowing can be used as a method to
improve decision-making when choosing among several alternative jobs. By
observing the pupil’s interest and abilities on the job site, the student himself
and his environment can come to a conclusion as to what is suitable for the
individual.
As individual job shadowing will usually take place among members of the
extended family it will also be possible to observe with whom the pupil gets
along well. Job shadowing also allows one to note which family member
understands and is able to deal with the future graduate.
Job shadowing therefore serves a triple purpose:
•
it is an additional opportunity to assess abilities and interests
•
it increases the number of job options available and enables real life
experience outside of the classroom, and
•
it permits us to observe who gets along with the pupil and to whom the
pupils relates well.
8.6.
Onsite training program
In the onsite training program, the pupil works full-time for a progressive
number of days at a selected job for one year. At the end of the third year,
the graduate will leave school and work full-time in the chosen field.
258
________________________________________________________________________________________
As McDonnell, Mathot-Buckner & Ferguson (1996) underline, job training
needs to focus on three main objectives:
establishing a level of performance that is acceptable to the people who are
working together on the job
creating a support system that deals with problems arising in the course of
work
seeing to it, that the graduate observes informal and formal rules that apply
to the job at hand.
As stated before, the expected level of performance should be clear for
the trainee as well as his co-workers. Care should be taken, that the person
should not be limited to unduly heavy or dirty work that no one else will to
do. On the other hand, the trainee should be able to work at a certain level of
speed and the accuracy necessary for this type of work in order to be
accepted as a co-worker.
This means that in the beginning, following the principles of behavior
modification, praise and reinforcement, as well as prompts for “good work
behavior” should be frequent. This can be faded out over time, as the trainee
progressively masters the task.
In some cases job modifications will be necessary. As we have seen in our
task analysis of jobs available in the community, these can be broken down
into main task areas. A job modification could consist of limiting the task of
the person to one area for example, watering and weeding the nursery beds
in plant growing. Or a modification could be limiting the work to pounding
broken glass bottles for bead making instead of expecting the person to do
the whole sequence of tasks. Another strategy would be to think of
adaptations that would reduce the difficulty of the task. Again taking up the
same example in the beginning, the area that should be watered with one
filling of the watering can could be marked. The person could be taught to
distinguish earth that is sufficiently wet from that which is too dry or too wet,
by touching the earth and observing its color. It is the job of the teacher to
think of such adaptations to make it easier for the person to learn to do the
job properly.
Creating a support system involves finding persons on the job site who will
be friendly and help the trainee when needed. If the work is in the extended
family context, as is usually the case, such a “guardian angel” will probably
already have been identified. Prinstain & Aikins (2005) studied how
friendships of mentally retarded adolescents can benefit psychological
259
________________________________________________________________________________________
adjustment and Turnbull, Pereira & Blue-Banning (2000) examined how
teachers can facilitate friendships of mentally handicapped pupils.
Asher & Gottman (1981) have identified three conditions under which
friendships develop:
•
There must be a shared interest; for example, the persons involved
may like the same type of music, be interested in sports, etc.
•
There must be frequent contact with the potential friend, which means
that friendship is more likely if you work together, live in the same
neighborhood, etc.
•
Last not least, you need the social skills to initiate and maintain the
relationship, which means the person needs to be able behave in the
way that is expected by others, i.e. joking with peers, share typical
topics of conversation, offer assistance, be polite and aware of others
feelings, etc.
Preaching to the co-workers and outlining the deficits of the individual:
“He is mentally retarded, sometimes forgets to bathe and does not speak
clearly but you have to love him as a human being” is not recommended.
Giving lectures on mental retardation and showing that you are an expert
serves only to underline the distance between the co-workers and the new
person who is going to join them in their job. We should focus on solving
existing problems instead of creating new ones.
The teacher should be available and easy to reach whenever there is a
problem and use his ideas and experience with former pupils to solve them.
For example, if the person shows up regularly late at work the teacher can
talk to the people where he lives, find out why he is often late and get them
to send him to the work site on time, etc.
Observation of formal and informal rules on the job by the trainee can
be monitored by visits to the job sites and conversations with co-workers and
the trainee himself. The most important aspect here again is that the teacher
who is responsible for the onsite job training of his pupil is in loose informal
contact with the work site and is easily available for any necessary
discussions.
260
A FINAL WORD
________________________________________________________________________________________
IX. A FINAL WORD
This handbook cannot pretend to have an answer to the employment
problems of persons with an intellectual disability in Ghana. Even in
industrialized countries, a large number of persons with a disability are
without jobs.
However,
•
by analyzing existing job opportunities,
•
assessing abilities and interests of mentally handicapped pupils
•
job matching and job training on site in the community
we can take a decisive step towards our goal.
With our support despite a handicap young school leavers can contribute to
their family’s well being. Through decent work they can become an accepted
member of the community
Hopefully the reader will take up the procedures outlined in this handbook. As
more community based schools for mentally handicapped children are
created in Ghana transition from school to work will also increase.
261
ANNEXE
________________________________________________________________________________________
X. ANNEXE
10.1.
WINNEBA VOCATIONAL READINESS SCALE
(WVRS)
Kniel, A. & Kniel-Jurka, C.
262
ANNEXE
________________________________________________________________________________________
10.2.
WINNEBA SUPPORT NEEDS CHECKLIST
Adrian & Christiane Kniel-Jurka
With this informal list, the job coach can analyze and determine in which
areas the school leaver with a mental handicap needs assistance for
succeeding on the job. In the list please check why and in what area the
person needs support, and then identify who could help and what should be
done. 9
Why and in what area is support
yes
needed?
Needs help to improve work quality
Needs help to improve work quantity
(speed)
Needs help in being regular and punctual
at work
Needs help in safety skills
Needs help in making himself understood
(communication)
Needs help in cooperating with coworkers (working together)
Needs help with money (making change,
getting his share)
Needs help in presenting a neat and
pleasing appearance
Needs help with in taking medication and
medical checkups (seizures, skin disease
etc.)
Needs help in adapting to changes and
stress
9
no
Who can
help?
What should be
done?
The following example can illustrate the procedure
Why and in what area is support
yes
needed?
no
Who can
What should be done?
help?
Needs help in safety skills
Co worker Needs to learn to use a rag to lift a hot skillet
X
AMA
off the fire. Needs to stand away from the
direction of the wind near a fire
Needs help with in taking
Mother
medication and medical checkups
Needs to take medication before going to
work. Pill box with one compartment for every
(seizures, skin disease etc.)
X
day of the week must be made, so that
regular intake can be checked
263
ANNEXE
________________________________________________________________________________________
10.3.
WINNEBA ACTIVITY LIST OF FAMILY
MEMBERS (WALFM)
Kniel, A.& Kniel-Jurka, C.:
The purpose of this list is to identify those members of the extended family
that could use extra help in their activities and to describe briefly what tasks
would be involved.
In a second step in talking with the teacher who knows the child best, it could
be ascertained if abilities and interests of the child match the tasks that
would be performed as a helper. What additional training on the job site/
home and community setting would be necessary if any?
1. Name of Child:
.............
Age .......
2. Name of Father:
.............
Occupation:
Gender: .....................
................................
Self-employed:
Yes
no
Could additional help be used in this occupation?
Yes
no
What tasks would the additional help consist of?
................................................................................................
Address of father:........................................................................
Precise location: ..........................................................................
3. Name of Mother:
.............
Occupation:
................................
Self-employed:
Yes
no
Yes
no
................................................................................................
Address of mother: ......................................................................
4. Name of Guardian: .............
Occupation:
................................
Self-employed:
Yes
no
Yes
no
................................................................................................
Address of guardian:....................................................................
264
ANNEXE
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Siblings /Aunties/ Uncles/ Grandparents etc.
Name
Occupation
Self-
Additional help
What tasks would the
employed?
necessary?
additional help consist
y/n
y/n
of?
6. Churches / \NGOs
Is church/ NGO undertaking any project in which the trainee could be
integrated?
Yes
no
If yes, please specify....................................................................
7. List of activity areas of family members helping role of the trainee is
possible
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
8. According to family member interviewed which of these persons could be
approached or can they approach to discuss a helping role in their job
activities?
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
9. Other observations and comments gathered from the chat with the
parents or person who brought the future graduate to school.
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
Date, Signature...........................................................................
265
REFERENCES
________________________________________________________________________________________
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economy. International Labor
organization
(www.nctad.org/en/docs/ldc2006p2ch4_en.pdf)
271
Dr Adrian Kniel is a professor at the Faculty of Social
Services, University of Kassel (Germany) and the Department
of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba. He
has been active in the education of children with a mental
handicap in Africa for 20 years. As initiator and educational
director of the system of integrated schools for children with
an intellectual disability in Togo he organised and chaired the
first meeting of teacher of schools for the mentally
handicapped in West and Central Africa. Together with teachers from schools
in Togo and Ghana he developed the first curriculum for mentally handicapped
children in this region and organised and taught sandwich courses for
specialist teachers from the francophone countries. Prof. Kniel served as senior
expert in the development of a program for transition from school to work for
mentally handicapped school leavers in Algeria.
Presently Dr. Kniel is attached to the Special Education Division of Ghana
Education Service as an integrated CIM expert. He is responsible for the
partnership program of the German Technical Cooperation (gtz) “Support to
Special Education” with the goal of increasing access of children with an
intellectual disability to education, improving specialist teacher education and
enhancing transition from school to work.

ADRIAN KNIEL

Transcription

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