Some children, usually boys between the ages of 8 to 11 are increasingly seen selling bottled and sachet water in traffic, some of these children close as late at 10pm.
The Republic Press has observed that increasingly children of school going age are seen selling bottle and sachet water as a way of either supporting a guardian or a parent.
When the Republic Press caught up with one of these children at McCarthy Hills around 9PM who only gave his name as Kelvin, he said “I am selling to support my mother”.
When asked where the mother was, Kelvin said “she’s in the house”.
11-year-old Kelvin said he is in class four but failed to mention the name of his school.
When asked what time he will close, he replied “very soon. The other people here will start going home soon, I usually close when the cars stop coming”.
Similarly, at Anomabo in the Central region around 10:30 AM, another visibly younger boy was seen trying hard to stretch his hands in an attempt to sell sachet water to a passenger.
When asked why he was not in school, he replied saying “today is Friday, we won’t learn. We will only go and play football till we close. I am selling the water to support my grandmother”.
Here in Accra, the Republic Press spoke to some of these children seen selling around the 37-traffic light and the traffic lights between the Police headquarters and fire service headquarters.
The Media team also captured three young boys and a girl selling toilet roll at Anyaa Market close to the traffic light.
The stories of these children were no different from those in the Central region. However, most of the children in Accra said they were selling for a guardian who brought them from the village to be taken care of. They could not state the schools they were attending but were excited to add that they get new shoes, shirts and sandals and other gifts when they make more sales.
