Kwaku Doe - Beggars Included

Looks like beggars are included in AMA's drive to rid the streets of Accra of hawkers. I witnessed two of the AMA's officials driving (well, more like asking) a blind woman and her helper (a little boy) off the street just at the TUC traffic light. I don't know but for some reason my heart just went out to this woman. She is very old and I'm sure she wouldn't be on the street if she had another means of surviving.

Are we as a country ready to do this? Can we cater for the less privileged in society? Are we ready to take care of persons with disabilities who have no means of livelihood? What about the hawkers on the street who are being driven away? I doubt if they enjoy selling on the streets but they do it just so they can make some money. Selling in the market might not bring them as much revenue as selling on the streets. Are we prepared to set them up so they can be independent? Yes, most of them have left the rural areas to seek greener pastures in Accra. Of course there are issues with that but hey, they are already here and there's not much we can do about that.

Let's just hope by this we do not end up worsening the armed robbery situation in Gh. Sometimes I see some young men (let me add young women too) selling in traffic and I am impressed. Why? Because they could have been armed robbers (or any other kind of social deviant) but instead they choose to sweat and toil to make an honest living. I wonder if they really make anything out of what they sell (how many people buy tummy trimmers in a day?) but they are making the effort anyways.

Once again, Kwaku Doe was not at his usual spot and I can't say I'm surprised. Looking at what's going on now, I wonder if I'll see him again.