Photo of the week: The 1.2 million very poor Ghanaians

There are 1.2 million Ghanaians categorised as extremely poor by the Ghana Statistical Service.

In this photo, a scavenger, buried under a heap of garbage, walks over a mountain of rubbish at Pantang dump site in Accra.

For many, it will be unthinkable how anyone could make a living on the Pantang dump site. But truth is, poverty is a desperate man.

The site, near the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital, one of the oldest and largest dump sites in Accra, has undoubtedly become an obvious health hazard in the fast growing residential area.

The site, believed to have started in the 1990s, is currently the recipient of tonnes of waste generated in many parts of the capital.

An extremely poor person is one who spends all his earning on food only, it will not be sufficient to meet the 2,900 calories minimum requirement".

That is according to the Census Director at the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) Anthony Amuzu. He said in currency terms, the 'very poor' live on Gh¢2.17 a day

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