Kayayes operating in the Sunyani Municipality have appealed to the Municipal Assembly and traditional authorities to provide them with a designated piece of land to enable them put up shelters.
According to the head porters, such a move will stop them from sleeping on street pavements, at lorry stations, inside markets and in front of people's shops at night.
Securing the land, they insisted, will allow them to construct their own temporary structures and live in one location, which will also make it easier for city authorities and other stakeholders to identify, monitor and engage them effectively.
The appeal was made by the kayayes during the 11th Community Forum organised by Citizens Watch Ghana and its consortium partners, Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF) and the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (IWEN), under the Resilient City for Adolescents (RCA) project. The three year project is being funded by Fondation Botnar through Ecorys UK.
The Kayayes, numbering more than 100 drawn from the various streets and markets in Sunyani, said their scattered nature across the city makes coordination difficult.
“We are many in Sunyani. Because we are not at one location, it is difficult to control the stubborn ones among us. We want the Assembly to give us land to build temporary structures to stay. It will help the authorities to reach or identify us easily. It will be better than sleeping on the streets and littering the city”. The Coordinator of the kayayes and spokesperson, Abdulai Abdul - Razak appealed to the assemblyman for Sunyani Area 4, Mr. Peter Danso Kyeremeh who was present at the forum to convey their message to the appropriate authorities.
They also expressed disappointment at what they described as years of neglect by city authorities and traditional leaders, despite the vital services they render to individuals and businesses in the municipality. The Kayayes further complained of mistreatment by some indigenes, saying they are often treated as second-class citizens.
Speaking at the forum, the Executive Director of Citizens Watch Ghana, Simon Asore, said the consortium partners will continue engaging street hawkers, Kayayes and wheelbarrow pushers to better understand their challenges and work towards sustainable solutions.
He noted that the RCA project is ready to enroll interested Kayayes and wheelbarrow pushers into free vocational training programmes to improve their livelihoods. Mr. Asore also cautioned them to eschew violence, respect the laws of the land, and avoid drugs and other social vices.
The Project Coordinator for the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (IWEN), Mr. Emmanuel Jesse Sarkodie, advised the Kayayes to be disciplined in how they use their income.
“Don’t waste your money on expensive phones, drugs and immoral activities, but rather learn to save and invest,” he urged.
The Chief Executive Officer of Global Media Foundation, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, encouraged the Kayayes to take full advantage of the vocational training opportunities under the RCA project to transform their lives.
Mr. Ahenu shared aspects of his own life story, recounting the hardships he faced in his youth and how perseverance and discipline helped him rise to become a journalist and the Chief Executive Officer of Global Media Foundation.
He said that the Resilient City for Adolescents project seeks to promote inclusion, safety and opportunities for vulnerable young people in urban spaces through community engagement, advocacy and skills development.
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