Some child laborers on the street of Accra have called on the government to get them back to school
Speaking to Univers News, these children say they have been forced to hawk on the street since they have been left to fend for themselves.
Comfort , who sells sachet water said she couldn’t afford some stationeries needed for school so she had to drop out
I school but I have money issues( unstable finances)so I am not able to go to school. I have no money for school fees and books. Some books are being sold out at Gh5 and 10Gh and apart from not being able to afford my fees and books we are asked to pay money for sanitation and others. I would love to go back to school but I don’t have the means to do so. I do not gain or make profit out of what I’m selling, whatever I make out of it I use for food and due to that I find difficulty in getting back what I use to buy the items and to talk of gaining profit. I want the government or anyone with the means to help me continue my education and also buy the items I would need for school.
10 year- old James who sells shoe polish said he’s been forced to sell on the street since he has no reliable source of income.
My mother says she has no money on her so I should stay home when she gets money then I go back to school. I am selling polish here in traffic to help myself so that when my mother gets money I can go back to school. I only get 2 cedis out of what I sell in a day, I use that to buy Gari and fish to eat.
We eat two times in a day. After eating Gari and fish we try selling some of the polish if no one buys then we result to begging in order to survive.
I want to back to school because I love school and school is nice. I am only here because my mother does not have money.
Bright who is also sells dusters at the streets Shiashie said he will be glad if governments comes to their aid.
I want to go back to school because deep within I know school is good and it will help me. If I don’t go to school I would have nothing doing or no other option than to hulk and beg in traffic but if I go to school I could get a job even if its not an official government work I could result to vocational training that will equip me with skills to help me get a job and buy food for myself.
We call on all who can help us go back to school to aid us to return to school and attain education or anyone who can help us with a decent job and better work than selling of dusters in the street.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS 1,215,546 children of school-going age in Ghana are not attending school.
The statistics were released as part of activities to commemorate World Children’s Day which is celebrated each year on 20th November to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.
Africa Education Watch asking for Government to revisit free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE) and re-commit to making basic education free, universally accessible and compulsory for all Ghanaian children by increasing capital investments and financing of public basic education.
