Ghana’s Buz Stop Boys: The young professionals helping to clean up Accra

“These boys are the real heroes. They are doing what most of us are too busy or too proud to do. If we all helped them, imagine how beautiful Accra would be,” he said.

The donations have been bolstered by those of politicians.

Former President John Mahama – who is making a fresh bid for power by contesting elections due in December under the banner of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) – donated 50,000 cedis, while Transport Minister Asensu Boakye – who comes from the ruling National Patriotic Party (NPP) – gave 10,000 cedis.

Welcoming the donations, Mr Sarfo said the cash was used to fund their activities – including paying for rubbish disposal and buying fuel for their tricycle to transport rubbish to a refuse site.

Politically non-partisan, the Buz Stop Boys’ sole focus is on realising their vision of a cleaner Ghana – one street at a time.

“Individuals should take up initiatives because waiting for government hasn’t worked over the decades and the records also show that in the event of an environmental disaster we as citizens suffer the most,” Mr Sarfo said.

“It is therefore important for us to rise and help ourselves.”

Mark Wilberforce is a freelance journalist based in London and Accra.