USING THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT TO MIRROR THE EFFECTS OF

PARENTAL IRRESPONSIBILITY-POKUASE.

BACKGROUND:
Today, several social and moral diseases plague the society and these many agencies
are trying to find solutions for but to no avail. These problems are defilement, rape,
spousal abuse, and more but forgetting its root. Many psychologists share the view that
the home is the first agency for the child’s development. He or she interacts with the
immediate and closest people and learn from them. These closely related people are no
other people than the parents.
This shows that if any individual can develop to become a responsible and useful
citizen for the society much will depend on the home where the parent becomes the
foundation and the pillar of growth.
Growth in this regard means the acquisition of worthwhile values which aid socio-
cultural, physical, moral and spiritual advancement etc.
Relevant and useful knowledge experiences like love, care, discipline, hard work,
courtesy etc. that are acquired help the child to progress. Therefore if a parent becomes
irresponsible the child is denied all these worthwhile values and hence the society and not
the child alone suffers. Rape and defilement, spousal abuse, corruption, robbery etc.
become the end product.

AIM:
To help draw attention of philanthropists, individuals, Non-Governmental
organizations, the Government to encourage or to mount projects or contribute financially
to projects that are aimed at solving the problem.

OBJECTIVES:
• To educate the people of Pokuase on the effect of parental irresponsibility.
• To identify and assess the extent of damnation that parental irresponsibility
has caused.
• To establish a proof that parental irresponsibility is a social menace.

METHODOLOGY:
The main method to use for the project is improvisational drama which will be
performed with some of the target group members and some of the victims.
Some of the strategies and techniques which will also be used include; interviews,
discussion, role play, photograph, exhibition and many more.

JUSTIFICATION:
I am deeply convinced that any social set up with these social plagues has no future.
Therefore, I believe strongly that until the tree standing is uprooted by the roots nothing
can be done to cease it from growth.
In effect, parental irresponsibility which is the root problem should first be solved.
The parent should be well resourced and informed to be responsible else the plagues shall
never leave the society. Therefore, I am certain that using improvisatory drama to tackle
the situation is the most effective medium since it has the ability to communicate
emotions, express in more plain terms issues and encourage participant performer and
participant spectator relationship - David Kerr.
PROJECT SITE:
Pokuase is not far distant from Accra. It lies along the main Accra – Nsawam route,
some few kilometers beyond Achimota. It is inhabited by a mixed group of people;
Hausa, Ewe, Akan and largely Ga people. According to Osei Koranteng Harriet, 2004, in
her dissertation at the concluding part of chapter 5, page 63, she says that issues of
teenage pregnancy………, irresponsibility on the part of fathers etc. are impeding
development in the area. Hence the need to site this community for the project to create
awareness on the effects of parental irresponsibility for the whole society to take a second
looks at it.

TARGET GROUP:
• Single parents
• Couples
• Divorcees
• Teenage mothers
• Youth (Especially the ready to marry ones)

THESIS STATEMENT:
Parental irresponsibility is a very crucial subject that the whole society has lost sight
of, forgetting that when the home is broken the whole society will not stand because the
home (made up of parents and children) is its foundation.

THESIS PROBLEM:
Parental irresponsibility simply means the neglect of parental duties or roles towards
the child. These responsibilities may be material, spiritual, social and moral. When a
parent shuns or ignores these responsibilities the adverse effects or repercussions are
great. They however are made manifest as truancy, streetism, robbery, pain, stress,
exposure to defilement and rape, child or juvenile delinquency, stealing, prostitution,
teenage pregnancies, ‘kayayoism’, hawking or child labour and many others.
When children are exposed to these social diseases they threaten the society’s peace,
security, that of the families’ and the future growth of the whole society as well.

THESIS QUESTION(S):
What connection or relationship has parental irresponsibility with the cultural life of
the people? Mothers and fathers, which of them shirk more responsibilities? How major
is the problem of the parental irresponsibility to the society? And finally, what
relationship has parental irresponsibility with Pokuase community in general? These and
several questions may be lingered on the minds of other people.

HYPOTHESIS:
When the home is broken the whole society will not stand but will fall apart and
yield to serious social problems.

PROJECT BENEFITS/OUTCOMES
• To give the problem of parental irresponsibility a public notice or attention.
• To call on philanthropists and organizations to the combat of the canker.
• To pave the way for children to be given the necessary attention, care and
support by the parents.
PROJECT LIMITATIONS:
• Time constraints – meeting with target group(s) will be a problem since they
are mostly farmers and traders.
• Co-operation difficulties – members will be reluctant to expose facts, lateness
for attending forum, workshop and rehearsals.
• Distance

DELIMITATION:
• Time table to manage the project.
• A good rapport between researcher and community.
• Use of interesting activities like singing and dancing as strategies to
encourage participation.

REFERENCES:
Rev. Dr. Elias K. Asiama, LEGONGON DANCE DRAMA AS A MEDIUM OF
CULTURAL EDUCATION, Accra, JAC Multi-Media Center, 2006.

Kwame Gyekye, AFRICAN CULTURAL VALUES, Accra, Sankofa Publishing

Company, 1996, pg 75-90.

Nikki van der Gaag, the No Nonsense guide to Women’s Rights, UK, New
Internationalist ™ Publication Ltd.

Kamal Salhi, African Theatre for Development, England, Intellet Ltd. 1998
 BUGDET

ITEM DESCRIPTION AMOUNT

P.A System One day Gh ¢60
Canopy Six Rooms Gh ¢18

Chairs 200×8Gp Gh ¢16

Transportation for researcher To and fro campus and lab site. Gh ¢70

T n T for thirty students and From Legon to Pokuase and

project supervisors. back. Gh ¢80

Refreshment 200×|Gh¢1 Gh ¢200

Stationery, banners, posters Gh ¢50

Miscellaneous Gh ¢49
Total Gh ¢543