Apostle Dr Walter Saakwa-Mante, Founder and General Overseer of Faith Army Chapel International (FACI) has organised a feast for street children in Accra, to show love and compassion to the less privileged and vulnerable in society.

It was organised in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare as part of activities marking the FACI’s 20th Anniversary.

The phenomenon of streetism has become a global concern.

Child protection experts estimate that the total number of street children in the Greater Accra Region alone hovered around 90,000.

A document, dubbed ‘Census on Street Children in the Greater Accra Region’, revealed that there were 61,492 street children in the Greater Accra Region as at 2011.

Apostle Dr Saakwa-Mante, who is also the President of the Ghana Patriotic Pastors and Professionals Voice, said holding the a feast for the street children was also a fact finding and sensitisation effort to attract the public and other potential stakeholders to join to fight against streetism in Ghana.

“We hope to follow up with rehabilitation and eventual eradication of streetism.”

He said the project was designed to take place on regular basis.

Apostle Dr Saakwa-Mante said the growing level of rural urban migration, poverty and poor parenting contributed to the menace of street children; stating that the uncontrollable dimension of migration was a major reason for the high level of illiteracy in the nation.

“It is also an easily verified truism that there is a relationship between streetism and the upsurge of crime in our country,” he said.

“In fact, there are potential engineers, pastors, doctors, nurses and ministers of state in the streets; so that if left unattended to, could become armed robbers and fraudsters instead.”

He noted that such a situation poses a great danger in the entire society.

Apostle Dr Saakwa-Mante, who said the growing level of streetism needed urgent attention; also indicated that “in order to curb the problem, we need to see the problem as an emergency one”.

He appealed to the Government, the Department of Social Welfare, faith-based organisations and civil society to step up efforts at curbing the growing menace of streetism in the country in order to save previous souls.

He said there was the need to put in place a corresponding aggressive approach to solve the growing menace of streetism.

“The middle and upper class who fold their arms should heed to the call to come on board. In my humble opinion, all hands must be on deck,” Apostle Dr Saakwa-Mante said.

“Instead of taking guns as musicians to fight on stage, let’s fight streeetism instead. Instead of engaging in the war of words and superiority as the clergy, let’s wage war against the indicators that fight against the destiny of precious souls who find themselves on the streets.”

Apostle Dr Saakwa-Mante reminded Christians that God wanted them to show love, mercy and compassion to one another, especially the less privileged and vulnerable.