The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in Ghana

The Covid-19 pandemic has created socio-economic challenges for countries globally and has touched lives in some of the world’s most remote areas. While other countries have been proactive in addressing these challenges, I fear that Ghana, and to an extent most of sub-Saharan Africa, have failed to...

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Main Authors: John Boulard Forkuor, Charles Selorm Deku, Eric Agyemang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Johannesburg 2021-06-01
Series:The Thinker
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/The_Thinker/article/view/532
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author John Boulard Forkuor
Charles Selorm Deku
Eric Agyemang
author_facet John Boulard Forkuor
Charles Selorm Deku
Eric Agyemang
author_sort John Boulard Forkuor
collection DOAJ
description The Covid-19 pandemic has created socio-economic challenges for countries globally and has touched lives in some of the world’s most remote areas. While other countries have been proactive in addressing these challenges, I fear that Ghana, and to an extent most of sub-Saharan Africa, have failed to adequately prepare for and anticipate these challenges. This reflective essay discusses the paradoxes that the pandemic and the measures used to curb it have created for two vulnerable groups: informal economy workers and women and children in abusive relationships. I introduce the essay with a reflective account of the relevance and practicality of social work education and practice in Ghana in light of the ongoing pandemic. Subsequently, I focus on the two aforementioned vulnerable groups. I present a reflective account of how the challenges that emerged from this pandemic create new opportunities for my work as a social work educator and also for practice with these groups in Ghana.
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spelling doaj-art-8ea29f79b5cb4f44bf2090319c3adee42025-01-28T09:02:29ZengUniversity of JohannesburgThe Thinker2075-24582616-907X2021-06-0187210.36615/thethinker.v87i2.532The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in GhanaJohn Boulard ForkuorCharles Selorm DekuEric Agyemang The Covid-19 pandemic has created socio-economic challenges for countries globally and has touched lives in some of the world’s most remote areas. While other countries have been proactive in addressing these challenges, I fear that Ghana, and to an extent most of sub-Saharan Africa, have failed to adequately prepare for and anticipate these challenges. This reflective essay discusses the paradoxes that the pandemic and the measures used to curb it have created for two vulnerable groups: informal economy workers and women and children in abusive relationships. I introduce the essay with a reflective account of the relevance and practicality of social work education and practice in Ghana in light of the ongoing pandemic. Subsequently, I focus on the two aforementioned vulnerable groups. I present a reflective account of how the challenges that emerged from this pandemic create new opportunities for my work as a social work educator and also for practice with these groups in Ghana. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/The_Thinker/article/view/532LockdownCovid-19GhanaSocial Work EducationOpinionArticle
spellingShingle John Boulard Forkuor
Charles Selorm Deku
Eric Agyemang
The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in Ghana
The Thinker
Lockdown
Covid-19
Ghana
Social Work Education
Opinion
Article
title The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in Ghana
title_full The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in Ghana
title_fullStr The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in Ghana
title_full_unstemmed The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in Ghana
title_short The Dilemma of Vulnerable Groups During Lockdown: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice in Ghana
title_sort dilemma of vulnerable groups during lockdown implications for social work education and practice in ghana
topic Lockdown
Covid-19
Ghana
Social Work Education
Opinion
Article
url https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/The_Thinker/article/view/532
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