Abstract:
This study examined the Impact of Cocoa Life Project interventions of World
Vision Ghana (WVG) on beneficiaries in the Wassa East District (WED) using the
mixed methods approach in a descriptive survey and exploratory design. The neoliberal,
alternative development, social structural, social capital and social cognitive
theories were used to develop the conceptual framework for the study. A total of
410 respondents including farmers, members of village savings and loans groups,
gari processors, soap makers, the Head of the District Agriculture Department, and
the Head of Business Advisory Centre were sampled for the study. Interview
schedule, focus group discussion and interview .guides were the instruments used,
with percentages, means, standard deviation, chi-square, t-test, ANOV A, thematic
and content analyses as the analytical tools. The study found that unlike the
implementation stage, the level of satisfaction in participation in planning and
evaluation activities of the interventions was low. However, the Project was
generally relevant to the development of beneficiary communities. Also, WVG put
in place various measures to promote gender equality under the Project. Although
various factors helped to sustain the Project, the level of transparency and
accountability was low and with very short duration. Though the overall impact of
the Project on the livelihood of beneficiaries is high, significant differences exist in
educational, religious and ethnic backgrounds of beneficiaries based on the impact
of the Project on their livelihoods. It is recommended that WVG should team up
with Cocoa Life, local authorities and community leaders to design measures to
ensure that project interventions truly reflect the diverse needs of beneficiaries.
