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Scavenging for survival …children, adults invade Tamale landfill site
Some adults and children in the Northern Regional Capital, Tamale, have found another means of making a living without joining the bandwagon of migrating to Southern Ghana in search of non-existing job.
A lot of northers are in the towns and cities of Ghana engaged in menial jobs and conditions under which they live are not dignifying, to say the least.
Women as well as children in school uniform, on a daily basis, make their way to the one of the city’s landfill sites to ‘dig for goodies’ after waste collection trucks have offloaded heaps of garbage.
According to some residents, the practice has been in existence over the years and is a source of livelihood for those who engage in it.
Sheriff and Majeed, both aged nine, are among the many children, captured by our Photographer Mr. Geoffery Buta, as they ‘invade’ the dumping ground before, during, or after school hours.
With sharp metal bars and sacks, the children head for the refuse site and spend several hours on the heaps of garbage for anything they find useable. Other children between eight and 15 years compete’ with adults as soon as the refuse trucks pull up.
Sheriff said that on one lucky day, he found a wrist watch which he later sold at seven cedis (GHC 7.00). Madam Fuazie Iddrisu one of the adult scavengers, admitted that they earned some living from the landfill site by selling some of the ‘valuables’ they found.
Mr. Fataw Abubakar, a scrap dealer at the landfill site said, the number of scavengers in the area had doubled as the population in the city increased.
“On Mondays, the refuse dump looks like a ‘market day’ where you see hundreds of scavengers especially women and children of all ages rummaging the garbage”, he said.
He said many of the scavengers had lived almost all their lives near the landfill site, and that some children started following their parents to the site as early as age five.
Explaining the risk the children especially were exposed to at the site, Mr. Abubakar, recounted a sad encounter when a child was run over and killed by a refuse truck that had come to offload refuse.
A waste management official, who pleaded anonymity, noted that the authorities in charge of the site had tried and failed on many occasions to stop the children especially from coming to the dumping ground.
“Many of them complain it is their livelihood, so they should be allowed to continue,” he said but noted that the completion of a solid waste management project would help control the activities of the adult and child scavengers.
By Geoferry Buta
FOR patrons at a special thanksgiving concert held in honour of parishioners, benefactors and friends at the St. Monica Catholic Rectory at Fan Milk, Accra, Rev. Fr Bonaventure Kweku Quaidoo will continue to be seen as a man of many parts.
Usually seen dressed resplendently in his cassock, Rev. Fr. Bonaventure is known by the faithful as a preacher of the word despite his background in music.
But on this auspicious occasion, the Rector, Rev. Fr Bonaventure Kweku Quaidoo, assumed the role of a conductor of the Central Ceremonial Band of the Ghana Police Service.
In front of the band wielding the conductor’s baton, Rev. Fr Bonaventure conducted the band as they gave a rendition of some of the spiritual hymns of the faithful, thrilling the audience in the event under the theme “An Evening of the Performing Arts in Thanksgiving to Beloved Parishioners, Benefactors and Friends.”
It was attended by the clergy, parishioners and invited guests for an evening that blended sacred reflection with artistic performance.
The Chaplain-General of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Very Rev. Fr George Arthur, opened the programme with prayer, while the closing benediction was given by Very Rev. Fr. Isaac Ebo Blay, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Society.
A highlight of the evening was a classical performance by Dr Kyoung Ok Kim of the University of Ghana’s School of Performing Arts, who reinterpreted Ghanaian melodies to the delight of the audience.
Ordained in 1990, Rev. Fr Quaidoo is a trained musician and former member of the National Symphony Orchestra. Over the past 35 years, he has served in the dioceses of Tamale, Damongo and Accra, integrating music into his pastoral ministry.
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THE 41st Farmers’ Day was held last Friday in the Volta Region, honouring outstanding farmers that contributed immensely in the sustenance of the country’s food basket.
This year’s celebration was themed “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future”, reflecting the government’s emphasis on strengthening food systems, promoting local consumption, and building long-term resilience in the agricultural sector.
It was attended by the President, John Dramani Mahama, Minister of Agriculture, Mr Ernest Opoku, Regional Ministers and Paramount Chief of Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV.
The week-long observance began on December 1, at the Ho Sports Stadium with the official opening of the 2025 National Agricultural Fair.
An 82 year-old farmer, Mr Opanin Abraham Kwaku Adusei from Kwawu Odumase in the Afram Plains District of the Eastern Region, was adjudged the 2025 National Best Farmer.
President Mahama commended the farmers for their dedication and pivotal role in advancing the country’s agricultural sector.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, also attributed the current food glut to innovation and resilience of farmers.
Established in 1985, Farmers’ Day has grown into one of Ghana’s most significant national events—celebrating the enduring contributions of farmers and fishers to the nation’s development and economic stability.
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