THAT BANKU

YOUR VICTORY IS IN RISING AGAIN.

Some setbacks are the first step to success. If you have ever ridden a bicycle then you know that getting a scar means you are getting closer to being perfect because you must have fallen many times. Now if that did not stop you then nothing else should. If you have fallen before then you know how it feels meaning you should be much less afraid than before. Your victory is in rising again.

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QUALITY OF LIFE.

In the last 30 years, Ghana has maintained an astronomical growth rate of 2.5; comparative to the global average of 1.5. What this means is that the population is increasing at a faster rate than it should. It should at least be in line with our economic growth but that does not seem so currently. Why? As at 2016, it was estimated at 30.8 births/1,000 population which seems to be a decrease from 31.7 births/1,000 population. However, the average size per house hold which statistically is 5.1/2,000 population (2013 est.) does not reflect what statistics points to.

Now just walk through town especially some of these under-developed areas – I use under-developed sparingly. You will realize the number of people in a household could hit as high as 7 or 8 people in a room and this is just a single room. These also happen to be the areas where teenage pregnancy is high and for family planning, you could just say it is a word which means nothing.

Population experts have in recent times been concerned about Ghana’s fast population growth as the 2016 Population and Housing Census pegged Ghana’s total population at 28.21 million while a United Nations estimates it to be 28.73 million as of August 20, 2017. This is not good for our economy and what could be done about it? A lot has already been said about this but we mostly forget quickly. After raising awareness, we live a couple of months or perhaps years in the awareness mode and then after some time we switch off until another alarm blows. 

Now let’s consider this, China has adopted a major policy to its major population challenge in order to restrict childbirth. In 1979, the country started the “one child per family policy”. This stated that citizens must obtain a birth certificate before the birth of their children.

A state government in India has instituted a policy to offer newlyweds a cash grant of 5000 rupees or $106 to wait two years to have their first child. Other states have also made laws where having more than two children is a disqualification from holding public office.

If we care about the quality of life we live, then we should do well to order the way we give birth. For instance, it is not government’s duty (even though it could) to tell you how many children you should bring forth as long as you can take care of them. Why should your children go through the same hustle you went through? The aim should be to improve on their quality of life which hinges on the preparations you have made for the future (the future of your children). So the lesser mouths to feed, the more room you have to use your extra resources to secure something (properties, businesses etc.) that will live for generations to come.