Bus Stop Kids

There is a part of Accra that needs our undivided attention. A part of Accra that needs our help, a part of Accra that is looked down on and ignored by the local people, and sadly, it is mostly children, Girls. Early in the morning you will hear the sound of Accra waking around 5.30am, in the centre of Accra there is a bus station, an open station with no covering. All the buses large and mini start appearing at around 6.30am. By 9.00am the station in busier than Heathrow Airport with buses coming and going. They continue in and out of the station until around 6pm. By 7pm there are no buses, the station becomes empty and quiet. Then slowly the station begins to fill again, but this time it is with children of all ages. It is no longer a bus station; it is a home for the homeless children. Many of these children have children of there own.

Many children were attracted to Accra by promising stories from friends and peers. In reality, street life is much harder than most children expect. The street children struggle to take care of themselves. They try to make a living by doing all kinds of jobs. The boys often earn money by shining shoes, pushing trucks, gathering refuse and carrying it to the dump site. Some street children are 'hawkers' which means they try to sell their wares (often small items like chewing gum) hanging around, especially by chasing vehicles. The girls often sell water, oranges and bread. Some children sell plastic bags at the market. You can also find a vast number of girls who carry loads of goods in bowls on their heads. These girls are called the "kaya yee".

Men from the city will pay for their services as well as the street boys. Here in the UK the girls on the street get drawn into it by drugs; they do not get drawn into prostitution because they need food to live. It is mostly to feed there habits of drugs.

For the Children (Girls) in Accra it is to live daily, to eat daily, and to survive daily. The street girl is among the most vulnerable on the streets, and street boys will offer them some form of protection in return for sex. Not to mention the personal effect this has on a girl, it also means that they are at a high risk of getting pregnant. The boy will then deny all knowledge of his relationship; the girl is then left to bring up the child on their own. Street girls are also at a heightened risk of becoming infected with STD's and STI's.

Please look through our web site and join us in helping these kids.