I don’t work, all I do is smoke all day- 16 old girl says
The YouTube channel SVTV Africa has highlighted the suffering of Monica Owusu Sekyere, 16, a homeless person in Kantamanto, Accra who claims she left her home at a young age merely to smoke.
According to Monica, she only smokes and is currently jobless. The school dropout additionally disclosed that she left her home at the age of 12.
“I quit school in class six while in Koforidua. I met some girls who told me to come to Accra and that I would get free food and have the freedom to do anything I wanted.
“But when I got here, I had to sleep outside. I realised that I had the freedom to do what I wanted, so I decided to stay.”
The young lady has previously nurtured the ambition of becoming a journalist in future but fate took her in a different direction.
“I am jobless; I smoke for Ghana. I wanted to become a journalist or a nurse, but I can’t do that now. I’m planning to learn how to braid.”
Monica began smoking when she was 13 years old. She mentioned that she would like to quit smoking because it has not proven beneficial to her.
“It’s not easy here. It’s better to be jobless at home than on the streets. You can stay here all day without food. Many think those outside have a place to sleep, but we sleep in stalls here at the market.
“If you’re as young as me, don’t listen to friends and join them on the streets,” Monica advised.
