“After selling ‘kenkey’ for 40 years, I cannot boast of any savings” – 60-year-old mother of six cries

After selling ‘kenkey’ throughout her adult life, Akua Anamoah cannot boast of a meaningful life in Accra.

Narrating her story to crimecheckghana.org, the sexagenarian says she sleeps outside in the open with her six children, one of whom has given birth.

Her husband she says only does menial jobs and cannot afford to rent a comfortable accommodation for his family.

She said her journey started in her hometown, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana where she hawked the ‘kenkey’ on her head.

Thinking life would improve when they relocate to the city, she said they moved to Accra to join the hustle and bustle.

Madam Anamoah said they settled at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle where there is always a beehive of activity.

Unfortunately, she said it has not been rosy for them as their living conditions continue to get harsher.

She fell in tears while she narrated how she shares a wooden shed with her children while her husband sleeps on a steel bridge across a huge drain at Circle and not only that the struggle to feed her children and fund their education.

“The ‘kenkey’ business was doing well but recently, sales have dropped drastically. I cannot even rent so I sleep outside with the children. When it rains it floods the shed. It is dangerous but that is all we can afford.”

“I have a 40-year-old child who has three children but she still depends on me for her survival. Ingredients for the food have increased and I cannot afford it. Patronage too has fallen. The whole family feed on the kenkey,” she cried.

Madam Anamoah said her family has deserted her and so she has no support apart from the kenkey business she does to help herself. She explains that she has a fallout with her husband because of his inability to support her cater for the children.

She appealed to the general public for support to enable her cater for the children, three of whom have already dropped out of school and are becoming riffraff due to financial difficulties.