The Burden of Poverty On Ghanaian Children

In Central Accra, it is estimated that between seven and eight thousand street children roam the streets each day.

Thirty five percent of these children are orphans, either neglected by their families to the point they are forced to leave, or are victims of the death of both parents.

At Teshie Orphanage, one of two private orphanages located in Accra, 50 children are provided respite from life on the streets.

Given shelter, they can avoid major problems like teenage pregnancy, theft, drug addiction, and hunger. Here, they are given a shot at education, and possibly a better life.

In Teshie, Chorkor, and other seaside communities, children are encouraged to fish, as there are few other means to make a living.

Kwamena Parker, proprieter of the Teshie Orphanage, talked of the specific problems facing the youth he has taken in.

One such problem is pregnancy in young girls, which is burdensome for already struggling families.

However, children living on the street are only symbols of a larger problem.

In Accra, extreme poverty and lack of education creates an abundance of need.

Parents without jobs have no means of changing their status, and often rely on their children to help out.

While orphanages like Teshie struggle to make ends meet, the larger problem still grows. Government assistance for orphanages alone is not enough.

Programs attacking the root problems like lack of education and poverty reduction, are the surest way to end the cycle.

Until these issues are adressed, street children will remain a part of everyday life.