Two Decades of โSafe-Child Advocacyโ Mission: A Light of Hope-Filled Future for Kumasi’s โKayayeisโ
September 30, 2025.
KUMASI, GHANA โ In the hustle and bustle of Kejetia market, known as “Dubai,” located in the center of the commercial city of Kumasi, Ghana, there is a harsh truth hidden behind the loads being carried. This is not the reality of business, but of the lives of young women and girls, known as “Kayayei.”
The term โKayayeiโ is a fascinating linguistic blend, not a native Twi word as is often thought. It combines the Hausa word โKaya,โ meaning ‘load,’ with the Ga word โYei,โ meaning โwomen,โ to literally translate as ‘women porters.’ Interestingly, the vast majority of porters in this challenging trade are not men, but girls/young women, many of whom have migrated from Ghana’s northern regions or neighboring countries.
Their work begins at the crack of dawn, as early as 4:00 AM, and the physical toll is immense. These women face a precarious existence, including a lack of safe and permanent shelter, pushing them into a cycle of hardship with few educational or employment alternatives.
However, there is a light of hope for these girls. The non-profit organization SAFE-CHILD ADVOCACY (SCA), with its headquarters in Kumasi, which is an establishment of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi in collaboration with the Sisters of the “Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul” under the supervision of Sr. Olivia Umoh, is dedicated to supporting, empowering, and restoring their dignity. This religious institute in the Catholic Church was founded by Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac in 1633 in faraway France. Their main mission is to provide services to the poor, the sick, and those in need, especially reaching out to those who have been pushed to the margins of society. Here in Kumasi, Ghana, SCA further provides these women and children with sponsorship, which enables them to get primary, secondary, and vocational education, up to university education, trying to remove them from the cycle of poverty and difficult life, and give them a chance to build a better future.
The “Street Corner Education” is one part of the extensive work of the SAFE-CHILD ADVOCACY (SCA). This activity targets children/youths and women on the street by providing them with essential lessons concerning their well-being and alternative livelihood pursuits. The training takes one or two hours, during which participants are given education on various life issues. The main goal of working with youngsters on the streets is to empower them and give them hope that they can rise above their current situation.
For two decades, with the same zeal and mission, the Daughters of Charity at Safe-Child Advocacy (SCA) and their collaborators have been a hub of hope, a haven, and a new light for the lives of “Kayayei.” In addition to this new light, the organization has expanded its scope by establishing three important centers in the city of Kumasi, Ghana. First is the Drop-in-Centre. This center was established as a safe place where kids on the street can rest or chat without any fear. They are allowed to play various games and get time to rest their minds and bodies from the hard work they do, as children on the street do not have safe sleeping places other than the fronts of locked shops.
Second is the St. Louise Vocational Training Centre. This center provides shelter for girls at risk, for whom their homes are not safe. Many of them have fled from harassment, sexual abuse, or forced marriages. This center provides them with vocational training and both short-term and long-term shelter, while others are rescued from human trafficking and reunited with their families.
Third is the St. Vincent de Paul Day Care Centre. This center targets mothers who work in the market and on the streets in difficult conditions by providing a safe space where babies of mothers on the streets are cared for and provided with early childhood education. They bring their children here to be safe while the mothers search for a livelihood.
Sadly, Kayayeis are not all girls/young women; a great number are children, under the age of 10. Some are forced by extreme poverty to take to this plight as the only option to save their families from hunger and associated shame. SCA has proved that the Kayeyei status can be changed, that no girl child must live through life as a Kayeyei. This status can be changed with a little support for a girl on the street. Everyone can contribute to preventing young Ghanaian girls from remaining Kaya through life. You can change the lives of the Kayayei and children/youths on the street with a little assistance. A little support to help the victims access formal education, skill training, or gain employment or set up income income-generating business. You can begin by partnering with SCA, an organization dedicated to helping children, youths, women, and children in street and other vulnerable situations, as well as educating the community on the challenges they face. Every little help opens the way for a better future. Join us in creating a society where children enjoy a safe childhood and develop their potential to the fullest.
