Ghana

Background of Ghana 

Ghana is a small West African country bordering Togo and Cote d'Ivoire with a population of 23 million. It was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence, declaring independence from British rule in 1957. However, in the years following 1957 Ghana struggled financially as the lack of industrialization led to heavy inflation and a shortage of basic commodities. 

It is a country rich in natural resources and is wealthier than its neighbours, however, the country is now heavily in debt to foreign countries and banks, and it remains dependent on international financial and technical assistance. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 36% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force.

The economic difficulties in Ghana mean 30% of the population still live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day. This means that very little money is spent on health and education, especially outside the capital Accra. Northern Ghana is particularly poor, with many people in rural areas living in extreme poverty where subsistence farming is the only real means of survival.

Women especially struggle with Ghana's crippling debts and the economic downturn has exacerbated this fact. Families are far more likely to remove a girl from school when education finance is hard to find thereby damaging girls' prospects. Also, the economic situation has damaged women's individual incomes and has reduced the household income that they manage on behalf of their families.  

Children in Ghana

There are 26,000 children living in street situations in Accra, Ghana. Children flock to the streets for a variety of reasons, but most seem to think that a life on the streets will offer them more alternatives than they find in their homes.  The North of Ghana is incredibly poor, and children, particularly girls are unlikely to even see the inside of a classroom simply because there are not enough facilities to accommodate them and their parents can not afford to send them.  Girls travel to the streets of the southern cities in the belief that they will earn enough money to return home and either go to school or use the money as a dowry to be able to get married. The reality is quite different, children work for extremely long hours doing heavy labour, and are only paid a few pennies for their troubles. They become trapped in a cycle of living hand to mouth, girls frequently fall pregnant, and they are often unable to return home or access any form of education.