Giving money to street children is a criminal offence - Bright Appiah

The Executive Director at Child Rights International, Mr. Bright Appiah has urged the public to stop giving money to street children.

According to him, it is criminal to give money to street children, saying that the laws will deal with people who are caught in that regard.

He noted that some parents see begging on the streets as a lucrative business and therefore intentionally send their children there to beg for money.

Mr Appiah was speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie while discussing ‘Ghana’s Social Protection System Under Perspective’ moderated by Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu.

"It’s a criminal offence if you give money to street children. When you are caught, the law will deal with you. What we need to look at is the welfare of those who by virtue of their situation cannot locate their family, the state should come in. But for the foreigners who beg on the streets, the law must deal with them as well as those who bring their children on the street to beg purely on a criminal level,” he said.

Mr. Appiah urged all those who want to give money to the street children to send it to the Social Welfare or homes so that all vulnerable children will benefit from it.

“I will never encourage anybody to give money to children on the street. If you have any money to give, donate it to the social welfare system to help vulnerable children,” he said.