Street Children

March 4th

‘Street Children- do not despise them’

These sad words are written on a huge hoarding in the centre of Tamale to try to change the attitudes of local people. But just imagine- you are a child, alone, possibly abandoned by your parents and now also despised by the people around you. When I go into the central market in Tamale I see wary, shabby children selling fruit, trying to earn money when they should be in school or in the heart of a family.

This week ‘The Chronicle’ paper highlighted the plight of such children. According to the paper there are nearly 4000 street children in the Tamale Metropolis. Boys and girls from the ages of 5 to 18 who sleep on pavements or at the main lorry station with homeless adults. Nobody cares if they eat, sleep or have access to health care. In addition local people feel that the lack of family support makes the children a threat and so they in turn intimidate and harass the children. According to the report most would like to go to school. This is impossible as they have to earn their living and, although education is free in Ghana, parents are expected to provide books, pens, pencils and uniform and food to be eaten at school. All this is out of reach if you live on the streets.

On a more positive note the Tamale ‘Youth Idleness Control Centre’ has pledged to provide skills training for as many children as possible. There are also different charities that try to help these vulnerable children including ‘Street Child Africa’. This charity led a powerful assembly during our ‘Black African Week’ and explained that as the children cannot come to school, the school comes to them on the streets and street corners of the cities of Ghana.

Our school raised £2000 for them and I can now see for myself just how desperately that money is needed.