Ghanaian migrant women's involvement in microlevel community developments in Ghana through remittances

Abstract

This paper is about African migrants living in South Africa and their involvement in community projects back in their home countries. Their participation in remittance and micro-level community projects is a distinct phenomenon which caught my attention as a researcher because of the unique way in which it is done. In communities like Jesikan among the Akan of Ghana where there is heavy participation in projects, it generates and consists in using institutions like churches, schools and municipalities and creates a deep sense of orientation to reconfigure a new angle for community development. This system seems to be obligatory and authoritarian in nature. Its approach is elitist and offers migrants an obligatory and conventional way of participating in a 'shared history of development' in their country of origin even though living in another country. Failure to participate in community development projects, migrant's risks rejection upon return. Since migrants are unable to avoid remitting through this milieu, they
participate out of 'the fear of rejection'. The findings of this paper introduces a new angle for the anthropological concept of reciprocity. When migrants remit, there is no expectation to receive a gift but such reciprocity is based on cultural norms, obligations and loyalty to one's kin and community. These cultural norms and obligations override selfinterest in reciprocal arrangements.

Keywords: Solidarity, community projects, remittance, Ghanaian migrant women, reciprocity