Ashanti Regional Department of Children outlines a strategic plan with stakeholders to rescue thousands of street porters

With the overwhelming numbers of street porters (Kayayie) in the country who go through hard times to make a living, the Children's Department in the Ashanti Region under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has exclusively reviewed several challenges confronting street porters in the country which needs urgent attention and remedy.

In the stakeholders meeting in Kumasi which was led by the Purim African Youth Development Platform (PAYDP) in collaboration with the Department of Children, Department of Gender and Department of Social Welfare, and funded by UNFPA, it came to light that, aside from the financial difficulties and lack of shelter for these street porters, they extremely go through sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, sexual transmitted diseases and many other factors that affect the livelihood of these innocent porters.

The Executive Director of Purim African Youth Development Platform, (PAYDP) Rev. Akoanam Kevi enumerated the number of challenges these street porters are facing in Ghana and added that “we are poised for action in organizing business, leadership and mentorship fairs for the transformation of the street porters, and am further pleading to various policymakers, especially the government to make life-changing policies that can transform the life of the 'Kayayeis' as we also do our part”.

She continued that PAYDP with funding support from UNFPA is currently implementing a programme under the "Ending Child Marriage" Programme as well as the "'Empowering Adolescent Girls" Programme.

This intervention is aimed at empowering vulnerable adolescents and Kayayei to make informed decisions, improve their economic status and reduce their vulnerabilities to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and its consequences, including forced marriages and cohabitation.

The Kayayei Business, Leadership and Mentorship Fair will officially commence from November 8 to November 10, 2023, to transform thousands of street porters in the Ashanti Region and beyond.