A STUDY OF THE STREET HAWKING PHENOMENON: A REVIEW OF INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES

ABSTRACT This study provides insight into the underlying causes of the street hawking phenomenon and evaluates the effectiveness of some intervention programs. Every year in Ghana, large amounts of youth, usually, between the ages of 18 and 25 take to the streets to engage in the hawking business. This represents a large number of our human capital which is largely underutilized; these people lack the basic skills to contribute to nation building and to provide revenue for government by way of taxes. The objective of this study was to review the intervention programs established by the government which generally seek to equip street hawkers with basic skills sets to capitalize on opportunities for self development and to provide more insight into the underlying causes of street hawking as an economic activity. However, the effectiveness of the intervention programs could not be verified through this study because of the 100% non-participatory rates of all respondents in this study. That notwithstanding, this study identifies the shortcomings of the operations of the intervention programs, providing solutions to make it more resourceful. The study is useful to the Government of Ghana, policy making institutions, the general public and all other stakeholders because it throws light on the shortcomings of the existing intervention programs; suggesting ways to make it more efficient in order to get the bulk of the youth off the streets, engaged in other forms of livelihood.