1.7 Million Street Children Receive Support from SCEF as 97 Reintegrated into Society

The Street Children Empowerment Foundation (SCEF) has renewed calls for urgent action to tackle the growing challenges faced by street-connected children in Ghana, as the organization marks its 15th anniversary with significant impact.

Panelists at a public lecture and stakeholder forum, organized by SCEF in partnership with 2Rest, emphasized the need for government and institutions to adopt comprehensive measures to reintegrate street children into society. The event, themed “Turning Research into Action: Advancing the Rights and Welfare of Street-Connected Children in Ghana,” brought together experts, advocates, and policymakers.

Speakers identified broken homes, poverty, drug abuse, and rural-urban migration as some of the major drivers of streetism across the country. They stressed that beyond removing children from the streets, there is a need to provide them with vocational training, startup support, and logistics to help them become self-reliant and productive citizens.

“A comprehensive framework on data about street-connected children must be available for research and effective policy-making,” said Mr. Richie Lamptey, Youth Advocate with 2Rest.

Dr. Ernestina Korleki Tetteh called on the media to increase coverage of issues affecting street children to push government and stakeholders to act.

A joint communiqué issued by SCEF and 2Rest urged policymakers to expand social protection measures, strengthen apprenticeship programs, reform child protection systems, and establish more vocational training schools as part of efforts to tackle streetism.

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Executive Director of SCEF, Mr. Paul Semeh, revealed that his organization has supported more than 1.7 million children and families over the years, successfully reintegrating 97 children back into society. He emphasized that young people must be given space to contribute to policy formulation, as their voices and experiences are vital in addressing the challenges they face.

The anniversary event underscored SCEF’s continued commitment to transforming the lives of vulnerable children and ensuring that the cycle of streetism is broken through empowerment, education, and policy action.

Report by Ben Laryea