Regional News of Thursday, 12 July 2012

Source: GNA

Street beggar uses her income to enroll children in senior high school

Madam Mercy Bogah, a 54-year physically disabled person, has through soliciting for alms on the streets managed to look after her two children, one of whom is now in Senior High School in Accra.

She has been on the streets begging for alms for the past eleven years.

Madam Bogah, who makes about GH?15.00 to GH?20.00 daily, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Wednesday that, “I have through this effort enrolled my children at the St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School in Accra and the Armed Forces Junior High School in the Volta Region.

She said other benevolent individuals had also supported her effort in educating the children to attain higher educational standards in life. “My children are serving as my insurance to take me off the streets of Accra for a secured future.”

“I am appealing to the Government and philanthropists to help me to put up a provision shop to raise money to further support my children’s education and myself”.

“I left the Volta Region to Accra because my husband divorced me hence I could no longer meet my needs thus I traveled here for a better livelihood but unfortunately life in Accra is not easy, I have to resort to begging to feed my children”.**