On the pavement leading to the FAO's regional office in the Ministries area in Accra, a maze of young women could be seen spread around different ends of the road, either sleeping, breastfeeding a child or pursuing a vehicle, with silver pans in their hands. These young ladies are porters or what is known as 'kayayei.' These ladies, mostly from the Northern region, make a living by carrying goods from one point to the other for a few pesewas. A sizable number of them have either a child or two, with most of them not going to school. Most of the children at a certain point in their lives have no choice than to join the parents' profession. This happens even before they turn 18. There are some below the age of eighteen but migrate to the big cities in Accra and Kumasi to join the profession. The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs says the increasing problem of ‘kayeyei’ will soon be over, announcing plans to activate a program that will see the children being sent back to their villages to attend school. Speaking to the dailyEXPRESS in an interview recendy, sector Minister Hajia Alima Mahama said her ministry has registered children engaged in ‘kayayei’ in areas like Tema Station and Agbogbloshie Ma,rkets. "The various district assemblies are equally involved to make sure the children receive assistance to help in their resettlement." Hajia Mahama who is also the MP for Nalerigu/Gamba in the Northern region is being supported by other NGOs who are working with these women. "They sleep in the open and anytime it rains you could see that they are exposed to dangers and this is exactly what the exercise would address," she explained. Hajia Mahama said the exercise will both be used to campaign and sensitize the young women about the dangers they put their young children to anytime they are away. She said the ministry has received a budgetary support of GHC29m to take up other related activities in the coming year. Touching on reports that the number of porters in major big cities like Accra and Kumasi has increased since the recent floods, the minister said that is a situation which can't be helped because they (women), have to earn a living to support themselves. She however told the dailyEXPRESS that with the planned intervention, those currently at home would get something to do with their lives. "Maybe there is a silver lining in the flooding and that is why government is determined to ensure that the place gets its fair share of developmental needs." Dr. Sulley Gariba, a Development Economist in an interview with the dailyEXPRESS also expressed his frustration over the situation but said people in such circumstances have no choice than to move down south in search of economic livelihood. During the peak of the flood situation when the dailyEXPRESS visited the several affected areas, whole communities were deserted by able bodied young men and women. In the village of Mutiense in the Builsa district for example, majority of those living there were old men and women with children of school going age making up the numbers. A gentleman told me most of the ladies had left their families behind and moved down South in search of greener pastures. "You can't really blame most of these people who desert the village because there is nothing to hold on to at the moment." Source: dailyEXPRESS