The hidden hands of transport: Young boys who work as helpers for bus conductors in Ghana
At every busy lorry station in Accra, the noise of honking buses, shouting drivers, and impatient passengers fills the air. In the middle of this chaos, one notices a group of energetic young boys weaving through the crowd, shouting destinations, helping passengers load goods, and running errands for bus conductors. These are the “small mates” or young helpers, children and teenagers who work alongside adult conductors in order to earn a living.
Most of these boys are between the ages of 10 and 17. Many come from poor backgrounds, with parents who cannot afford to send them to school or even provide three meals a day. For some, the lorry station has become both a workplace and a survival ground. By assisting bus conductors fetching water, loading luggage, collecting fares, or calling out destination they earn small coins at the end of each day. For many of them, this is what puts food on the table for themselves and sometimes for their families.
“I came from the village to Accra to work,” says a 14-year-old boy at Kaneshie station. “Sometimes I get 30 or 40 cedis in a week. I give part to my mother and use the rest to buy food.” His words capture the hard truth: childhood dreams are often cut short by the urgent need to survive.
The life of a young bus-helper is not easy. Their day often starts before dawn. They wake up on the wooden benches of the station, on mats laid in kiosks, or in small rented rooms with several others. By 5 a.m., they are already chasing after buses, competing with one another to win the attention of conductors who may need their assistance for the day.
Their work is physically demanding. They lift heavy loads for passengers, shout until their voices crack, and squeeze through traffic to collect fares. Sometimes they face insults, beatings, or exploitation from both drivers and passengers. Unlike adult conductors who take a share of daily earnings, these young helpers are often paid in coins or leftover change if they are paid at all.
One of the most worrying aspects of this situation is the loss of education. Many of these children have either dropped out of school or never attended at all. Poverty, lack of parental care, or broken homes push them into the stations. Without education, their chances of breaking free from the cycle of poverty remain slim.
Education experts warn that such children are at high risk of remaining in low-income, unstable jobs throughout their lives. “When you see these boys at the station, you are looking at potential wasted talent,” says a social worker in Accra. “Some of them are very smart, but circumstances push them into the streets instead of classrooms.”
Working in lorry stations exposes these boys to dangers like road accidents, physical abuse, police harassment, and even involvement in petty crimes. Some fall into drug use, while others are recruited into gangs that operate around bus terminals. Girls who engage in similar work face an even higher risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.
Despite these challenges, the resilience of these young workers is striking. Many dream of better futures. Some save their meagre income with hopes of learning a trade. Others hope to one day become drivers themselves, moving from the role of “small mate” to “big boss.”
The story of these young helpers is not just about poverty; it is about Ghana’s wider socio-economic challenges. High unemployment, rural-urban migration, lack of social support systems, and weak enforcement of child labour laws all contribute to the presence of these boys in lorry stations.
Civil society organisations have long called for stronger interventions: providing vocational training, re-integrating children into schools, and creating safer environments at lorry stations. Some NGOs run feeding programmes and evening classes for these children, but the scale of the problem is much larger than what private organisations can handle alone.
These young helpers are not invisible. Every passenger who boards a bus in Ghana sees them, hears their calls, and sometimes benefits from their service. Yet society often looks past them, dismissing them as mere “street boys.” They deserve more education, safety, dignity, and the chance to dream beyond the station.
As Ghana strives for development, the country must not forget its most vulnerable children. The boys who now carry luggage, call out “Circle! Circle!” or cling to the sides of trotro buses are more than just helpers. They are future citizens whose potential should not be left behind at the lorry station.
BY BEQUIN AKUA MAYOLLEN
