Ghanaians have become immune to the heartbreaking sight of children, disabled, old-aged and other unfortunates begging on our streets.
We have come to believe that these unfortunates are merely facing the burdens of their own back luck, and have refused to accept any responsibility for what many a foreigner, coming upon the scene for a first time, would consider a calamity. And paint all of us as heathens.
It is strange that for a nation that prides itself on its deep religiosity, we have failed to find it in our hearts to do anything about this mishap.
It is quite common to see Muslims flocking to mosques on Fridays, just as it is easy to see Christians similarly flocking to churches by the millions every Sunday.
These populations of religious folk pass by the unfortunate beggars on their way to the mosques and churches, and again on their way back home, without it occurring to them that something is odd.
Similarly, it is possible to see the latest, most expensive houses and vehicles on our streets, yet these luxuries co-exist quite comfortably with the crushing sight of a four-year old child begging for alms to feed itself.
Surely, it must occur to us that something is wrong with our collective psyche; because we so easily accept as normal what should be completely abnormal in any nation.
The Daily Searchlight has no doubt at all, that the most powerful in the land regularly use the same streets we all use, and see the same sights.
It is why we dare to suggest that we must all be very uncomfortable with what is happening.
Now that government has found the need to do something about minors begging on our streets, we hope that it would occur to the religious community that the time has come to join hands with government in finding a lasting and durable solution to underage begging.
To the initiated, the children begging on the streets only serve to expose our basic nature as heathens, and no amount of new scented clothes and luxurious appointments would take away from that fact.
(Editorial of the Daily Searchlight of 21st May, 2025).
