Time to take these kids out from the street

The government is failing to respond to a worrying rise in the number of street children in Accra. In February 2012, a census estimated that the number of street children in Accra, Ghana’s capital city, has reached 61,492 - an astronomic rise from little over 4,000 in 1990. These street children, often migrants from rural Ghana, live in dangerous and degrading conditions and tend to lack the opportunity to improve their situation. Ghana’s political class often overlook this growing problem. Child Rights campaigner Bright Appiah has criticised successive governments for failing to implement policies that would improve the living standards of these children. However, Stephen Adongo, head of the government’s Social Welfare Department, contends that a lack of available funds prevents the government from formulating an effective response. The street children of Accra live in poor and demeaning conditions. Children often have to bathe in metal bowls in the middle of the streets. Only one in ten citizens of Accra has a toilet and a shower at home; therefore, most people have to use the public toilets. Entrance to public sanitation facilities is charged, making them mostly unaffordable for the street children, who must spend what little money they have on food. Please help if you can and please share this with anyone who has done a river trip in the past and they know what wonderful people they are. Thanks for your help.