Emerging luminaries, not vagrants

Dusk to dawn, rain or shine and through it all, they are made aware that there is no place for solace but on the principal streets of Accra and other major towns.

Tasked with the mandate to feed themselves and perhaps their ailing or unemployed parents, walking and lying on hard pavements is an everyday norm.

They are not difficult to find as their fragile bodies can be seen leaning against windscreens and windows of moving vehicles displaying arms that seem to demonstrate hunger.

At the expense of their education and a future with greater prospects, they meander through the streets, becoming susceptible to social vices and in the worst-case scenarios; road accidents.

Victims

Over the years, there have been many media reports and investigative covers indicating that some of these young ones may be victims of syndicates with ploys to garner wealth from benevolent Ghanaians who fall prey to their schemes.

Of greater concern is the fact that many of our institutions entrusted with the mandate to secure these young ones fall short of their service. Due to this, the numbers keep rising daily, while we sit and just observe as spectators.

We are not clueless about what we should be doing as a country, we certainly have laws relating to child protection and as such what is required is the implementation of it.

Collaborative

The collaborative efforts of institutions at the district and national levels would ensure that these are well-placed in safer spaces for holistic development. It is also needed that parents or guardians who leave their young ones in such manners are made to face stiffer sanctions.

A well-established nation is one that constantly seeks to pursue the interests of its youth and their development. I envisage a country where we pay particular attention to the health and mental development of minors.

Indeed, what we need to see are more recreational facilities and the upgrading of the existing ones such as the Efua Sutherland Park, a fund for children battling with terminal diseases to support their recovery and a freeway for every Ghanaian child in their pursuit of quality education.

The juveniles we leave on our streets are the ones going to represent us on the global front in years to come and as such, their backgrounds should never be made to dictate their future. We all have a charge to make things right and an even greater part of service is required from our leaders at the front.