• Community Life,  Social Issues

    The Secret Lives of Hawkers: A Day in the Life on the Streets

    By Jerry Accra, Ghana — At 5:30 a.m., before the city stirs to life, 17-year-old Ama Sarpong is already on the road with a basin full of boiled eggs on her head. Balancing the load with practiced ease, she walks briskly along Ring Road Central, dodging early traffic, calling out: “Eggs, hot eggs, one cedi!” By midday, she’s drenched in sweat. By nightfall, her voice is hoarse. But on a good day, she takes home ₵60. On a bad one, she returns with aching legs — and unsold eggs. “I’m the breadwinner in my family,” she says softly. “My mother is sick. My father is gone.” The Unseen Backbone of…