A Ban Against Neglect (ABAN) is trying to solve two issues of neglect in Accra, Ghana: the neglect facing young girls living on the streets and the neglect facing the environment of the city. An estimated 21,000 children, 6,000 street babies, and 7,000 street mothers (under the age of 20) are said to be roaming the streets of Ghana’s capital, Accra. These children come from many different backgrounds, yet whether they have been victims of poverty, abuse, or abandonment, all have one common thread: neglect.
For about four US cents, the people of Ghana can buy a 500ml bag of safe drinking water, called a sachet. Since there is no formal waste collection, over 40 tons of these bags are thrown into the streets every day. This has created a massive littering problem, as masses of water sachets are choking gutters, breeding mosquitoes and ultimately threatening the property, livestock and people of Accra. Every day, over 40 tons of sachet water bags end up on the streets. Every night, over 30,000 youth fall asleep on these same streets. As a non-profit based in Accra and run jointly from the U.S. and Ghana, ABAN is working to empower street girls while cleaning up the environment.
source: Do Something Organization
