On almost every street corner, junction or traffic light, you are sure to find a young child, who should be in school, selling water, food or just anything you can imagine. From puppies to mobile phone credit, these children spend the whole day on the streets selling to feed themselves and their families. If these children are not selling, they are sure to be begging. I believe that for a country to develop economically, each generation of leaders should be better than the previous one. Now how are we supposed to develop economically if we are not creating the right environment for our children? Some of these children will never have the privilege of enjoying good education and maybe the privilege of having a balanced diet. Their future can be predicted as soon as you look at them. It is always sad when you see these children and know that unless for a miracle, they will always remain on the streets, have children, and the cycle goes on.

In Ghana, there are some non governmental institutions that take these street children in and cater for them. But these institutions can only do so much since they are not given much support. Anytime you look into the eyes of these children, you will see a lot of potential, ambition and perseverance. The only problem is that all that is going to waste under the scorching sun. What can be done about this? What are government policies on harnessing the potential of street children? Do governments even think of the people on the streets?

I think these street children, if brought up in the right environment can make a significant difference. The only thing they need is to be in the right environment. In solving a problem like this, let us also consider the roots of the problem. Examples could be poor families having many children that they cannot take care of and many more.