Some head potters in the Madina Market are calling on the government to come to their aid so as to make life comfortable for them.They say as a result of high inflation in Ghana, the cost of living has become unbearable for them.
The head potters, also referred to as Kayayeis, lamented on the rate at which prices of goods are escalating.
Speaking with Baina News , The kayayeis in the Madina Market says they are not in the profession because they liked it but rather it is due to lack of opportunities and it also serve as means of livelihood.
Others also say that, they did not receive any financial support from their parents and that led them into the trade.
Some of them also say that because they did not have the opportunity to have any formal education, they do not want the same to happen to their children they are therefore laboring to provide for their children’s academic success.
According to them, a promise was made to them to allocate some hostels during the elections by the government but they are yet to see that and therefore they are currently in great need of a place to stay after work.
They therefore want the government to come to their aid.
Recently, the President of the Kayayei Youth Association (KYA), Mohammed Osman, said there are about 35,000 kayayeis operating in five commercial cities in the country – Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Techiman and Ho.
He said data the association collected showed that Accra had 18,561; Kumasi,15,298; Tamale, 620; Techiman, 527 and Ho, 435.
Their ages range from 10 to 40 and many of them have fled from forced marriages and poverty, and are seeking jobs and better living standards.
The government announced plans to put up a hostel facility for head porters at Agbogbloshie in Accra to help address their accommodation challenge.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, who disclosed this when he presented the 2020 budget statement to Parliament on Wednesday, November 12, 2019, said the construction of the facility would begin in December, 2019.
This project is yet to start.
Bainamultimedia/ Ikimah Abubakar
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