HEAD PORTERS EXPLOITED, ABUSED- CENTRAL MKT QUEEN

An opinion leader at the Kumasi Central Market, Mrs. Mary Nkrumah has observed with serious concern that head porters popularly called ‘Kayaye’ plying their trade within the market are being exploited and abused in the performance of their business. 

The problem is blamed on people’s misconception about the critical contribution the Kayaye play in the national socio-economic development and therefore treats them with disdain and contempt. 

Mrs. Nkrumah was sharing her experiences with the work and challenges of head porters at a sensitization forum on the causes, effects and preventive measures against teenage pregnancies in Kumasi.

 The forum, which was the second such sensitization programmes in the Ashanti region this week, was organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with financial support by the Agricultural Development Bank. 

Mrs. Nkrumah, who is one of the commodity queens at the Kumasi Central Market, recounted how the Kayaye are mistreated by both traders and buyers despite the critical role they play in the marketing chain saying that some buyers refuse to pay the Kayaye after carrying their goods to the agreed destinations. 

Some also mishandle and verbally abuse these menial workers when they negotiate the charges for the loads they carry. 

Mrs. Nkrumah noted with admiration the zeal and determination with which most of the Kayaye ply their trade just to succeed in reaching the goals for which they have traveled from mainly the northern regions to the south sometimes even at the expense of their heath.   

She therefore appealed to government to introduce some social and economic interventions such as resting places to support the Kayaye to enable them to live decently. 

The Acting Ashanti Regional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Mrs. Patricia Kyeremateng Berchie expressed regret that some of the Kayaye are unwilling to leave their trade to learn vocational skills due to their inability to earn any income during the period of the training adding that some of them run away from their training to continue with their menial jobs. 

Mrs. Berchie advised them also to spend their income wisely so as to be able to cater for some of the important needs including their children’s welfare. 

Some of the Kayaye shared their harrowing experiences in the line of duty with the participants. 

They complained bitterly about sexual assault including rape, neglect of paternity responsibility by men who impregnate them, theft of their earnings, and abuse by some of their clients.