Editorial
Let’s find lasting solutions to plight of the homeless
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Homelessness in Ghana, particularly in major cities like Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi, is a growing crisis driven by severe housing shortages, economic hardship, and rapid urbanisation.
Thousands of people, including children, sleep on the streets, in front of stores, on pavements, or beneath footbridges at the mercy of the weather due to the lack of accessible, safe, and secure housing. Their situation is even worse when it rains since they have nowhere to hide.
In actual fact, housing infrastructure development is far behind the influx of migrants from rural areas to cities like Accra in search of better prospects, which leads to overcrowding and low-grade housing.
Although the homeless feel safe in their temporary shelters on streets and pavements, it is dangerous to their health. When they are sacked, they soon return to the streets again as they have no place of abode, so the situation becomes a cycle of ‘sacking and returning.’
This menace of homelessness comes as a result of poverty, migration, parental neglect, divorce, among others, which is affecting many women and children. In effect, children who should be in school find themselves on the streets, begging for alms.
Some of them pick whatever they can find, such as half-spoiled products from trash dumps, leftovers from the road, or food scraps. This puts their lives in jeopardy every day by exposing them to illnesses, abuse, drug usage, and human trafficking.
The homeless must be empowered with skills development and job creation opportunities such as vocational training to allow them to become economically self-sufficient and move off the streets.
Ghana cannot progress if she fails to address this menace; therefore, the government must find lasting solutions to the problem by investing in the construction of low-cost, affordable housing units, creating rent-to-own schemes to ensure low-income earners can secure shelter.
Additionally, the government should find ways to reduce the influx of people into cities by creating more jobs and investing in infrastructure in rural areas.
There is the urgent need to enhance support for victims of domestic violence and families in distress, which will go a long way to prevent them from becoming homeless, especially women who face barriers to property ownership.
It is necessary to have more shelters, feeding programmess, rehabilitation facilities, and mandatory school reintegration to address this challenge.
Addressing homelessness in Ghana requires a collaborative approach involving government action, private sector investment in low-cost housing, and support from Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) to ensure sustainable, long-term solutions.
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Dear Editor,
I am alarmed by the increasing rate of plastic waste in our communities.
Bottles, sachet water wrappers and food containers have become a common sight on our streets, markets and in our drainage system. This is gradually turning into an environmental and public health risk.
Improper disposal of plastic waste blocks the drains, causing flooding during rainy season and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
It also pollutes the rivers, lakes and sea, threatening aquatic life and affecting the livelihood of many people especially fishermen.
Although government agencies, environmental organisations and community groups have organised a clean-up exercises, the menace remains a major headache for bodies responsible in tackling the sanitation problems.
There is, therefore, an urgent need for strict enforcement of the sanitation laws, increased investment in recycling facilities and sustained public education on waste management.
Every citizen has a role to play by disposing off waste responsibly, reducing the use of single use plastics and participating in community clean-up exercise.
Protecting the environment is not just a responsibility for the government. It is one for every citizen and our collective actions today will determine the quality life for the future or the next generation.
As a concerned citizen, I hope this issue receive the immediate attention it deserves before plastic waste pollution causes even greater damage to our communities.
Desmond Aidoo,
Sowutuom
Dear Editor,
I am alarmed by the increasing rate of plastic waste in our communities.
Bottles, sachet water wrappers and food containers have become a common sight on our streets, markets and in our drainage system. This is gradually turning into an environmental and public health risk.
Improper disposal of plastic waste blocks the drains, causing flooding during rainy season and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
It also pollutes the rivers, lakes and sea, threatening aquatic life and affecting the livelihood of many people especially fishermen.
Although government agencies, environmental organisations and community groups have organised a clean-up exercises, the menace remains a major headache for bodies responsible in tackling the sanitation problems.
There is, therefore, an urgent need for strict enforcement of the sanitation laws, increased investment in recycling facilities and sustained public education on waste management.
Every citizen has a role to play by disposing off waste responsibly, reducing the use of single use plastics and participating in community clean-up exercise.
Protecting the environment is not just a responsibility for the government. It is one for every citizen and our collective actions today will determine the quality life for the future or the next generation.
As a concerned citizen, I hope this issue receive the immediate attention it deserves before plastic waste pollution causes even greater damage to our communities.
Desmond Aidoo,
Sowutuom
