Globally, the outbreak of an acute respiratory disease known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) adversely impacted on economies of countries and religious bodies. The emergence of the pandemic led to the interruption of most public socio-economic activities including religious gatherings, local and international flights, borders, road transportation, large commercial activities, public and private schools, among others worldwide, including Ghana. These measures sought to forestall a further spread of the disease. Suspension of religious gatherings foists considerable consequences on religious activities, especially in the developing world. In the mainstream academic discourse, scholars contended that the novel pandemic adversely affected economies of countries, but there is paucity of empirical evidence on how the pandemic has affected Christian Spirituality and religious socialization in Ghana. This study however fills this knowledge gap and unveils the possible effects of COVID-19 on Christian Spirituality in Ghana by using the Presbyterian Church of Ghana as a case. Qualitative approach was employed using data from in-depth interviews from eight (8) purposively selected respondents and four (4) regions in Ghana. The analysis revealed that, the pandemic disrupted the annual plans of churches and compelled them to alter their 2019/2020 annual plans. This affected spiritual activities like baptisms, holy matrimony and communion services, among others. It was also found that Church members had to significantly revoke their wedding schedules leading to premarital sex among especially young people. The study argues that the pandemic is a spirit-lice infestation depriving Christians of active spiritual operations. It was recommended that Church policy planners ought to broaden the scope of their programmes to accommodate supplementary programmes and activities for tackling future emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Non-formal education (NFE) became one of the strategic windows for developing human resources for social participation and better livelihood. However, after many years of implementation through varied NFE programmes, the challenges for which they were initiated have largely remained. The main question is: What has been the conceptual and programming disjuncture in the formulation of NFE as a community empowerment tool in Ghana? The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the NFE philosophy and the worldview of Nadowli Dagaaba of Ghana. The study used qualitative design based on both secondary and primary data. The study revealed that, despite the high aspirations of NFE, it has been plagued by numerous challenges regarding its efficacy in bringing about social and cultural change. The values and principles of the NFE and the worldview of the people of Nadowli District have both consistencies and contradictions. The study concludes that the NFE process could be relevant if the training programmes were harmonious with the participants’ everyday life that is, in accordance with their goals, culture and values. An endogenous social change model was, thus, recommended as suitable for NFE programmes in Ghana and, for that matter, Nadowli District.
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