Parental irresponsibility and broken homes have been identified as the major causes of a surge in streetism at Asafo, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

Young people, both male and female, roam the streets during the day to make a living at lorry terminals and pass the night under bridges and open spaces.

At Asafo, one of the biggest lorry terminals in Kumasi, the menace of streetism continues to be a threat to society and a worry to city authorities.

Speaking to JoyNews, many of the street children who have come to be known as 'Kubolo' [Truants] say it is not their desire to live on the street but they have no option.

One of the individuals who lives on the street, Maafia sharing her experience said she was forced to live on the streets following her father’s death after her mother abandoned her at a tender age. Therefore, she had to look elsewhere for her daily bread.

According to her, she is a sex worker, but since she got pregnant, she had to stop. However, Maafia fears she would have to return to the trade because she does not have any skills.

Another young girl said she was on the streets because she has lost both parents and her family has failed to cater for her.

This, she says has forced her to be a commercial sex worker.

A young man said the overpass has become his home since he left home because he accidentally poured glue into a friend’s eye after a little misunderstanding.

This he said led to his dismissal from the mechanic shop where he was an apprentice.

He added that his boss will only accept him if he pays a fine of GHS 2,500, and since his family did not have the money to pay for the penalty, he decided to hit the streets to find the money.

All these individuals are appealing to the government to come to their aid by enrolling them in apprenticeship programmes.