Gender Ministry to feed 15,000 ‘kayayei’ twice daily

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has put in place measures to cater for the vulnerable groups in the society in the wake of the Coronavirus disease and subsequent partial lockdown in some parts of Ghana.

As part of the measures, the Ministry will provide two meals every day to the vulnerable for the next 11 days.

The groups include head potters, popularly called kayayei, people living with disabilities (PWDs) and the mentally challenged on the streets.

President Akufo-Addo last Friday, March 27, announced a partial lockdown of Accra, Kumasi, Kasoa and Tema to halt the spread of the disease.

Following the directive, some head potters who ply their trade in the capital city of Accra tried to leave for their various homes in the northern regions.

They were however caught at Ejisu and sent back to Accra on Monday.

Briefing the press on Wednesday, April 1, the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Mrs Cynthia Morrison said the head potters, numbering about 15,000, would be catered for in terms of accommodation and meals.

She said some of the head potters have rented rooms and that those who do not will be given accommodation for lockdown period.

“For those who have apartments, we will find ways of sending logistics to them to keep them away from coming to town and those we are going to keep we are going to cater for them. There’s going to be enough food, there’s going to be enough water,” she said.

Mrs Morrison added that some corporate bodies and groups have offered to cook the meals.

“Some corporate bodies are cooking for 6000 and another group cooking for 4000,” she said.

She said the kayayei would also be trained on personal hygiene and social distancing and that 15,000 sanitizers would be handed over to them.

In the process, Mrs Morrison stated that the head potters would be registered and given IDs; after which the young ones would be sent back to their homes to go to school.

Mentally challenged and PWDs

She stated further that some 20 mentally challenged people who are living on the streets are going to be housed.

“We are also sending food to people on the streets. We have the mentally challenged people, we are picking 20 and they are going to be clean. They are not going to come back on the street and the others we are going to feed. And so we are going to give them food everyday twice a day,” she added.

She said her outfit would also cater for about 10,435 people working with disabilities (PWDs).

source: graphic.com.gh