Top three questions I am asked about Street Children in
Accra, Ghana:
During presentations about our work with Street Girls
Aid, I am asked many questions about the realities that exist for children
living, working and sleeping on the streets of Accra. Here are the three of the
most frequently asked questions:
What is a “Street Child?
A Street Child is “One who is under 18 years, is born on
the street and lives with parent (s) on the street; migrated to the streets; or
is an urban poor child or street mother who survives working in the street*.”
How many Street
Children live on the streets of Accra?
The Census on Street Children in Greater Accra discovered
61,492 children living, working and sleeping on the street.
What are the ages
of the Street Children living on the streets of Accra, Ghana?
During the census, the following information was
collected:
1% Less than one year of age
18% 1 – 5 years of age
24% 6 – 10 years of age
37% 11 – 15 years of age and
20% 16 – 18 years of age.
The next update will address other frequently asked
questions such as: Where do the children come from? What is the gender
breakdown? And, why do children live on the streets?
The stories of the children who have survived and become
contributing members of their communities have a lot to teach all of us. Theirs
are stories of perseverance, hard work and interventions by organizations like
Street Girls Aid which has been serving street children – impacting generations
for 20 years.
Back “Stories From The Streets” so that we can share the
lessons learned with the global community:
*“Census on Street Children in Greater Accra, Ghana”
(2011)
