A Study Of The Role Of The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) In Tackling The Problem Of Street Children In Ghana

ABSTRACT The problem of street children in our societies is very alarming. The ratification of international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other formulated domestic laws clearly illustrate Ghana’s attempts to tackle the issue of street children. UNICEF, since 1953, has been the permanent organ of the United Nations, charged with responsibility for children all around the world. This study looks at the role of UNICEF in collaborating with the government of Ghana and other stakeholders to tackle the challenge of street children in Ghana. The objectives of the study are to find out UNICEF’s role in addressing the problem of street children in Ghana, to find out how Ghana has fared in implementing policies as measured by UNICEF, how street children have benefitted and finally, why Ghana continually records increasing numbers of street children despite being the first country in the world to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The study employs a qualitative research approach through semi-structured interviews to answer the research questions. The dissertation further discusses the activities of street children NGOs and the Department of Social Welfare in addressing child protection issues. Some key findings of the study were; UNICEF, in the past, had tried to address the “Kayayei” phenomenon which was then emerging as a new entrant to the street children phenomenon. The perplexing outcome of their intervention informed UNICEF’s subsequent approach of adopting a systems-strengthening model (strengthening child protection systems on the whole), instead of the previous issues-based model (addressing individual child protection issues). Also, the issue of street children has been overlooked by the government of Ghana for so many years which explains why the problem has currently become uncontrollable. To add, Ghana has some of the best governing laws and policies, but implementation has always been the challenge. Key recommendations arrived at include; strengthening the extended family structure, improving the socio-economic standards of families, and setting up special schools for children who are already in street situations in order to train them with skillsets required in key sectors of the Ghanaian economy such as agriculture, technical, and vocational skills, so as to harness their potential and improve their contributions to society.