“My name is Jamaludeen and I was born and raised in Nima.”
Nima is a large community in Accra, Ghana. It is highly populated, and many children engage in child labor due to their family’s financial situation. Jamaludeen was an only child to his physically handicapped mother who passed away as of 2020. His father was hardly present and never showed love and support for him and his mother.
“I had to work at an early age because of my mother’s condition and my father’s lack of financial support. We were very poor. I had to help my mother, but also work to keep us both alive. I mostly had to wash clothes or get water for small amounts of money.”
Jamaludeen was mostly denied an education, and never felt as though he got the opportunity to be a kid. He worked instead, watching other children in the neighborhood play and go to school.
“To be honest, I never had a decent life. My extended family always turned a blind eye to the situation. Right now, the only way to survive is through friends. I sleep at my friend’s phone shop when he closes.”
His family never provided any support. They were always absent when it came to helping Jamaludeen and his mother. This forced him to grow up fast. He had no choice.
“I had wanted to be an ICT professional or computer scientist growing up but I missed out on a lot of opportunities. I feel ashamed of myself.”
Jamauldeen explains he will never forget what he has been through, and what it felt like to be in such a vulnerable place. He wants to continue his education when he has the means to do so. He still has dreams, and hopes that one day, he will be able to achieve them.
“There are many children here in Ghana that are going through this, and there is not enough support from NGOs to help all of them. When the opportunity presents itself, I want to be able to be part of helping these children.”
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