Viral Street Cleaning Movement Has Ghana Buzzing

Thought Question: If you could start a team to make your community better, what would you call it, and what activities would you do to help make a difference?

The African nation of Ghana has a trash problem. The Buz Stop Boys are working to fix it. 

The Buz Stop Boys were founded by Heneba Kwadwo Sarfo, a civil engineer. They're a grassroots, all-volunteer team of people from all walks of life. They have but one thing in common: a desire to see the streets of the capital city of Accra clean.

"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," Sarfo told the BBC. "It is therefore important for us to rise and help ourselves."

Sarfo named his group the The Buz Stop Boys because “everybody knows what a bus stop is,” he says. Two to four times per week, they put on bright orange and yellow vests and sweep through the streets of Accra … literally. They clean gutters. They pick up trash. They even unclog storm drains. They do whatever it takes to beautify their city. To drum up more volunteers, they post on social media. So far, they’ve racked up hundreds of thousands of views and likes. In turn, they get more volunteers. 

Ghana produces 14,000 tons of waste daily. Only 10% of it is processed properly. The Buz Stop Boys’ efforts have only made a small dent so far. But as their fame grows, so too does their impact.

"If we can make people (see) that keeping their environment clean benefits everyone, we’ll have a cleaner, healthier, and prouder Ghana," Sarfo told the BBC.  

Photo of Buz Stop Boys from Instagram courtesy of @buzstopboys.