Ernestina Korleki Tetteh (Dankyi), PhD

Ernestina Korleki Tetteh, PhD
Senior Research Fellow
Contact Info
ekdankyi@ug.edu.gh
Education
PhD in Migration Studies, University of Ghana (2014)
MPhil in Sociology, University of Ghana (2008)
BA in Social Work, University of Ghana (2003)

Bio: Ernestina Tetteh (formerly Dankyi), in August 2015,  joined the Centre for Social Policy Studies where she teaches Qualitative Research Methods; Gender and Other Social Diversity Issues; Contemporary Issues in Public Policy; and Social Diversity, Gender, Equity and Public Policy.

Dr. Tetteh is a 2016 Global Fellow with the Global Child Behavioural Health Fellowship programme funded by the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University and a member of the Society for Research in Child Development.

Research: Dr. Tetteh's research focuses on diverse groups of children and adolescents affected by both internal and international migration.  Since 2018, she has been working on the mental health experiences of street children and adolescents, most of whom are migrants.

Dr. Tetteh believes that the multi-level care systems within which children grow up play a significant role in their wellbeing. Therefore, inspired by the ecological systems theory, her current research focuses on the interaction between the macro structures of care and the immediate settings within with children and adolescents find themselves and how these interactions impact on their wellbeing. Her interest in street children and adolescents spans their general well-being and the micro, meso and macro level structures that are responsible for providing care for them.

 

Selected Projects:

Title: Promoting sustainable young livelihoods: unpacking possibilities for empowerment with young migrants in Ghana

Duration: 21 months

Objective: The project aims to generate much-needed knowledge about the livelihoods of young people in Ghana and use this knowledge to, 1) advance how we think about and put into practice ideas about empowerment in youth-centred initiatives, and 2) inform development of sustainable approaches that enhance positive youth futures.

 

Title: Street children and youth in Ghana and the Sustainable Development Goals

Duration: 12 months

Objective: The project sought to examine existing institutions and programmes for street children and how these are positioned to meet the sustainable development goals.  Specifically, it described and characterise existing social services and mental health interventions for street children in Ghana.  Out of the project has emerged an alliance of NGOs that are working to demand access to basic services and care for street children.

 

Title: Mapping the experiences of international independent child and young migrants in Ghana

Duration: 12 months

Objective: The study used a qualitative approach to engage 50 independent international child migrants from ages 10 to 19 who have been in Ghana for a minimum of 6 months at the time of the study.  Focus group discussions, in-depth interview and observations were used to explore the migration process and lived experiences of these children from four West African Countries – Nigeria, Togo, Niger and Mali.

 

Title: The health experiences of migrant children in Ghana - identifying priorities for community-based health promotion

Duration: 12 months

Objective: Drawing on Community-Based Participatory Research methods, the study sought to identify the health needs and priorities of (internal/international) young migrants (aged 10-18 years) in Ghana; Inform the development of culturally-relevant and impactful forms of health promotion with young         migrants; and support capacity-building and establish longer-term UK/Ghana partnerships through the development of a cross-country research network of child-centred researchers, academics, policy-makers, and NGOs.

 

Selected Publications

  • Dankyi E, Huang K-Y (2021). Street Children in Ghana’s Golden Triangle Cities: Mental Health Needs and Associated Risks. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. 

  • Dankyi, E. (2021). Children living on the street: Current efforts in policy research and practices in Ghana. In F. M. Ssewamala, M. McKay, & O. Sensoy Bahar (Eds.). Child Behavioral Health in Sub-Saharan Africa. New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

  • Dako-Gyeke M., Kodom R., Dankyi E., Sulemana A. (2020). Drivers of independent migration among adolescents from selected West African countries. Children and Youth Services Review (117)

  • Oti-Boadi M., Dankyi E., Kwakye-Nuako C. (2020). Stigma and Forgiveness in Ghanaian Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Journal of Autism and Development Disorders https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04366-x

  • Huang K., Bornheimer L., Dankyi, E., de-Graft Aikins A. (2018). Parental wellbeing, parenting and child development in Ghanaian families with young children. Child Psychiatry & Human development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-018-0799-3

  • Mazzucato, V., Dankyi, E., Poeze, M (2017).  Mapping transnational networks of care from a multi-actor and multi-sited perspective. In Children of migrants, intergenerational relations, and the transition to adulthood: Exploring Methodological Issues and Innovations, edited by Bolzmann, Bernardi, le Goff. Springer.

  • Alidu S. Dankyi E. Tsiboe-Darko A. (2016). Ageing policies in Ghana: a review of the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty and the National Health Insurance Scheme.    Ghana Studies

  • Poeze M. Dankyi E. Mazzucato V. (2016).  Navigating Transnational Care Relationships: Migrant parents and their children’s caregivers in the origin country. Global Networks. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/glob.12135/epdf

  • Dankyi, E., Mazzucato V., Manuh T. 2015. Reciprocity in global social protection: providing care for migrants’ children, Oxford Development Studies, DOI: 10.1080/13600818.2015.1124078

  • Poeze M. and Dankyi, E. (2013). "Eén familie, twee landen, twee onderzoeksters: ervaringen meteen simultaneous matched sample methodology", Kwalon 18 (3): 41-46.

  • Dankyi, E. (2011). Growing up in a transnational household: A study of children of International migrants in Accra, Ghana. Ghana Studies (14)

  • Awumbila, M., Alhassan, O., Badasu, D., Antwi Boasiako T, Dankyi, E. (2011). Socio-cultural dimensions of migration in Ghana. Technical paper no.3. Accra: Woeli Publishing Service

 

Professional and Community Service

  • Convener, NGOs working with street children in Ghana
  • Member, National Advisory Committee on Ageing

 

Memberships:

  • Member of the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) [since 2018]