Positive Youth Development in Western Africa: The 4-H Ghana Program

Purpose: Positive youth development (PYD) is a framework theorized to be universally relevant for all youth; however, there is a lack of research on PYD-informed programming outside of the United States., particularly in Africa. This study sheds light on how tenets of PYD have been implemented through the 4H Ghana program to positively impact Ghanaian youth development. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4-H Ghana’s Executive Director and a former club member. Interview transcriptions were coded to identify overarching themes. Findings: Four themes emerged from the interviews that largely align with the PYD framework: 1) youth’s connection to caring adults; 2) life skills development; 3) leadership development; and 4) challenges for 4H Ghana. Limitations: Current youth 4-H Ghana members were unable to participate, limiting our picture of the impact of 4-H Ghana. Similarly, because 4-H Ghana has not conducted a formal evaluation of the program, the conclusions we can make about the impact of the program are limited and should be interpreted with caution. Implications: Interviews indicate 4-H Ghana has been able to effectively implement a variety of PYDinformed programs to positively impact the lives of Ghanaian youth. This suggests PYD can be implemented effectively in West-Africa and provides further evidence of PYD as a framework that is relevant for youth development universally. Originality: This study is unique in that first-person experiences are presented to help address the need for PYD research in Africa and interviewees’ reports can be used by organizations looking to implement PYD-aligned programming to create a positive impact in African youth’s lives.