Life in a slum
Slums in the country have always been tagged in the negative light by the public who perceive them to be no-go areas. Based on the weird and scary tales that have been told about slums, I was terrified beyond measure when I had to live in the Old Fadama slum to further my education. Having lived there for over a year, I learnt at first hand the conditions in the slums. So, I ask “are slums and their dwellers that monstrous?”
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Definition of a slum
The United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT) defines a slum as “a contagious settlement where the inhabitants are characterised as having inadequate housing and basic services; or residential districts created by illegal occupation of land and largely in contravention of official building regulations”.
Slums are often heavily polluted urban settlement, with sub-standard accommodation, mostly lacking reliable sanitation services, supply of clean water, supply of electricity and no law enforcement. Some slums in Ghana include, Ashiaman, Old Fadama, Jamestown, New Takoradi and Suame Magazine.
The Old Fadama slum
Touted as the biggest in the country, the Old Fadama slum is ranked third in West Africa and seventh in Africa, with a population estimation of 100,000. Characteristic of all slums, it is an epitome of abject poverty, sub-standard accommodation, insanitary conditions and criminality.
Until a recent demolition exercise on June 20, 2015, by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the portion of the slum that straddled the heavily polluted Odaw River was known as “Sodom and Gomorrha”, akin to the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
This slum, which traces its origin to the early 1980s, is inhabited predominantly by migrants from the three regions of the north, who moved there mostly due to the unfortunate conflict at the time. There are others who moved to Accra from other rural areas to further their education or to search for greener pastures, but who end up in the slum, struggling to cater for their families.
Many others are there because of push factors in rural areas such as forced marriages, cruel widowhood rites, among others. Perhaps, these numerous factors account for the cosmopolitan nature of the slum.
Challenges in the slum
One major challenge the residents of this slum face is accommodation. A mini-kiosk-sized wooden structure, roofed with corrugated iron sheets, is rented out at an average price of GH¢50 a week, GH¢200 a month, and GH¢ 2,400 a year.
In view of this challenge, it is common to find at least 10 people pooling resources to rent a single structure to lay their heads, oblivious of the health implications.
Insanitary conditions, ranging from poor drainage system resulting from choked gutters, indiscriminate dumping of solid and liquid waste, cooking in open space, to poor places of convenience abound here. The bucket latrine system is common in the slum, with no proper hand washing mechanisms.
Another challenge has to do with security and crime. Everybody seems to be doing what pleases them, without minding whether their actions invade the privacy of others or not. I remember vividly that during my stay in the slum as a student, I had to wait until midnight to study, all because there was always noise all over. The issue of privacy has no place here.
Economic activities of the people
Located in the slum is what can be described as the biggest yam market in the country – the Konkomba Yam Market. It provides the greatest platform for economic activities for the residents and outsiders. While some of the young men unload and convey yams from one point to the other on trucks, their female counterparts act as head porters, known locally as “kayayei”.
The women in particular work so hard to connect the farmers who come to sell their yams to buyers and sell them as well. Some residents also engage in the infamous scrap metal business at a site closer to the slum, which has been touted as the greatest dumping site for electronic waste.
Are there any “Lots” in the slum?
Even though Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible were engulfed in crime, Lot and his family pleased God against all the odds. Can the same be said about the Old Fadama slum? My stay in the slum has given me the firm grounds to say that there are great people today who started from there.
The slum has been the little forest that saved many great men and women who now occupy great positions in society. It is one of the gold mines for political parties and politicians during elections, especially in the Odododiodio Constituency and the country at large.
Perhaps, the President of the Slums Union of Ghana, Mr Philip Kumah, who has lived there for decades, hit the nail on the head when he said “this slum has produced great people such as lawyers, Members of Parliament, business tycoons and other professionals you can mention. The perception of the public about slum dwellers must change because we are human beings with brains”.
“To think that the people here are mere criminals is to commit the greatest mistake because we are contributing our quota to national development, just like any other citizen. It takes a robust city management regime, job creation, investment in slums, sectoral reforms and political will to upgrade slums,” Mr Kumah said.
Many people have often called for the demolition of one slum or the other, citing the lawlessness and criminal activities there to buttress their point. It must be noted, however, that the demolition of one slum will only lead to the emergence of other slums if the right mechanisms are not put in place.
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