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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…
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The Cost of Commuting: How Rising Transport Prices Affect Everyday Workers
By Nomako Accra, Ghana — When Lydia Mensah leaves her two-bedroom home in Kasoa at 5:30 a.m. each morning, the first thing she does is check the contents of her purse. On most days, there’s enough for transportation. But lately, that hasn’t always been the case. “I used to spend GH₵8 total for trotro from home to work and back,” she said, referring to Ghana’s shared minibus taxis. “Now it’s closer to GH₵14. It may not sound like much, but it adds up, especially with school fees, rent, and food.” Lydia is one of thousands of working-class Ghanaians bearing the brunt of surging transportation costs, a ripple effect of global…