Gov’t to feed, house 15,000 head porters, homeless in coronavirus lockdown

About 15,000 head porters, popularly known as Kayayei, and homeless persons are going to be fed, clothed and housed, the Gender Ministry has announced.

The Police had earlier intercepted more than 100 head porters from two cargo trucks believed to be heading to the Northern Region after President Akufo-Addo declared lockdown.

Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison said the government is making provision for the ‘Kayayei’ and homeless.

“We currently have 15,000 of them that we are going to cater for. And for those who already have apartments we will find ways of sending logistics to keep them from coming to town,” she stated.

“To people on the street, we are picking like 20 of them and they are going to be cleaned. We are going to give them food twice a day,” she indicated.

She added that “the ministry has also visited some facilities which will accommodate both the Kayayei and the homeless. We will keep them there for the two weeks that the government has imposed the lockdown.”

She disclosed that corporate bodies are cooking to feed 6,000 of the kayayei and homeless and another group is cooking for 4,000 of them.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has also donated 500 cedis to each of the stranded ‘kayayei’ who were stopped on their way to the Northern Region.

Vice President Bawumia donates 500 Cedis each to ‘Ejisu’ Kayaye

Also, the Ghana covid-19 Fund together with Julie Essiam (Commissioner at the Ghana Revenue Authority have initiated a project dubbed ‘Feed-A-Kakayo’ project.

The project starts from April 1, 2020 to April 12, 2020 but may be extended as required.

This project was developed in conjunction with government to help alleviate the challenges faced by head-porters.

It seeks to feed up to 8,000 head-porters a day – 6,000 porters in the Greater Accra region and 2,000 in the Ashanti region.