This story is part of a series of child worker voices that Beyond Trafficking and Slavery gathered in the Lake Volta and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana, areas frequently targeted for intervention by people seeking to end child labour. The children were asked to describe their work, why they do it, and how the country's decision-makers could help them. Their answers were translated out of the local Twi language and edited for clarity.
I am 16 years of age. I work at a bar in the evenings. It is a very popular place and I am rushing around all the time getting people’s drinks and food orders. I often don’t sleep before midnight or 1 am. I like the work, but it comes with many problems. You have to know how to manage yourself and be alert all the time.
The biggest problem is when the men get drunk. A lot of the customers make sexual advances even when they’re sober, like touching you when you’re serving them. It is worse when they are drunk. I can’t count the number of times I have been offered money for sex. I always refuse, but I know that several of the girls have done this when they were in a difficult spot. The pay itself is not good, so we have to try to get tips. That comes with many issues.
