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General News of Monday, 4 March 2019

Source: 3news.com

Street boy wins essay contest to represent Ghana abroad but no help

Hakeem and his friends sleep on the streets of Accra play videoHakeem and his friends sleep on the streets of Accra

From the streets of Accra, 13-year-old Hakeem Alhassan had distinguished himself from his peers by emerging the overall winner of an essay competition organized for basic schools across the country but has returned to the streets because he does not have help.

As a winner of the competition, he got the opportunity of representing Ghana in China where he attended mentorship programmes to help him achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, but Hakeem has no one to help him realize that dream, except the non-governmental organization, which only pays his school fees at the Airport Police C&D Primary School.

Hakeem and his friends sleep on the streets of Accra, around the Airport City. They wash the windscreens of cars in traffic to make a living and there are times feeding becomes a problem for them.

Even though Hakeem got some exposure in China, he needs to stay in school to realize his dream.

But the headmistress of the Airport Police C&D Primary School, Mrs. Victoria Fiankor, tells TV3‘s Alfred Ocansey that Hakeem only comes to school as and when he is able to get food.

The Headmistress confirmed Hakeem is a brilliant boy, who indeed won the essay competition, and went to China but added upon his return he hardly came to school.