Coping Strategies of Independent Child Migrants from Northern Ghana to Southern Cities

Summary

Migration in Ghana, like migration anywhere else in the world, is in response to imbalances in development existing between origin and destination areas. It is also a strategy for survival. Child migrants in unfamiliar socio-cultural and economic environments, are likely to be vulnerable and face some risks. For example, many of them are found at transport stations and market places, which double as their places of work and sleep. This paper seeks to ascertain the coping strategies independent child migrants adopt in their day-to-day lives in the city. Though there has been regular media coverage of the problems migrant children face in the cities, an investigation into the dimensions of the problems and the strategies they adopt to cope will better inform policy makers. This, in turn, might help the formulation of better policies that would reduce the risks and vulnerabilities faced by these migrant children.