Since July 2023, a volunteer movement has been sweeping Accra’s streets. The Buz Stop Boys, mostly young professionals and tradespeople, are driving “a new wave of civic responsibility” by taking up brooms and shovels to clean up Ghana’s rubbish-choked sidewalks, drains and roads. Their leader, civil engineer Heneba Sarfo, says the aim is “not just to clean the streets but to change mindsets”.
Starting with only five members, the group now has 40+ men and women, from midwives to carpenters, military officers and students, who patrol Accra two to four times a week to unclog gutters, cut grass and haul waste out of neighborhoods. Social media has helped their cause: viral videos on TikTok and Instagram have amplified their message, drawing local support and even inspiring a team of UK students to fly in and join an Ablekuma cleanup. In short, a grassroots civic initiative has turned into a national story, and policymakers are taking notice.
Public Praise and Donations
Buz Stop Boys’ hard work has caught the eye of celebrities and leaders, which has boosted public support. For example, acclaimed singer-songwriter Sister Derby lauded their “pure selflessness” after joining them for a market-area cleanup. Even high-profile donations poured in:
- Music star Shatta Wale live-streamed support and helped raise GH¢30,000 to buy equipment.
- Former President John Mahama (NDC) personally donated GH¢50,000 to fund their tools and disposal costs.
- (Bonus: Ghana’s Transport Minister Asenso Boakye chipped in GH¢10,000 as well.)
These one-off gifts, used to buy a mini-excavator, fuel, tricycles and skips, were hugely welcome. But experts caution that clapping and cash handouts are not a strategy for long-term sanitation. In other words, applause and ad hoc funding aren’t enough. Ghana needs a structured plan so groups like the Buz Stop Boys can keep cleaning, and thrive, beyond viral moments.
Formalizing Support and Partnerships
Beyond corporate aid, policy experts say government agencies should institutionalize such civic action. Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni argues that instead of funneling billions to one contractor, “the government [should] allocate resources to local assemblies and capable organizations such as the BuzStopBoys to oversee sanitation”. In practice, this could mean giving municipal budgets directly to districts (MMDAs) or the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and letting them hire or grant funds to volunteer crews. Local assemblies could set up micro-grant programs for youth sanitation teams, covering tools and stipends. For example, a district could officially contract a Buz Stop Boys squad to sweep markets and clean gutters in exchange for a small monthly budget.
Policy discussions in Parliament echo these ideas. The Parliamentary Sanitation Committee recently suggested creating a dedicated fund for long-term waste management initiatives. Such a fund could finance training, equipment and even salaries for community brigades. In short, rather than one-off celebrity gifts, Ghana can create ongoing support through public-private partnership programs, local grants, and inclusion in national sanitation plans. This might involve:
- Equipping and funding volunteers: Municipalities could allocate small grants to buy brooms, bags, tricycles and protective gear for volunteer groups. Even modest assistance (like providing fuel for a donated tricycle) makes their cleanups far more effective.
- Formal contracts: The Youth Employment Agency or city assemblies could formally hire such teams on short-term contracts or stipends. For instance, rather than channeling all funds to Zoomlion, local assemblies could use part of their sanitation budget to pay neighborhood brigades a daily allowance.
- Integration in planning: National or local sanitation strategies should list civic groups as stakeholders. The EPA or Ministry of Local Government could invite the Buz Stop Boys (and similar clubs) to county-level waste forums, giving them a voice and even small grants in annual plans.
- Dedicated support programs: Following suggestions from Parliament, establish a “Sanitation Seed Fund” or incorporate volunteer brigades into initiatives like the Green Ghana campaign. This institutional backing would help replicate the Buz Stop Boys’ model in other regions.
Each of these steps helps move Ghana from cheerleading to championing clean city crews. It ensures volunteers get tools and modest pay, rather than depending on random largesse. This turns a grassroots movement into a formal ally of the government.
The Zoomlion Debate: A Cooperative Approach
The wider debate over Zoomlion’s sanitation contracts shows why civic brigades are timely. Some activists call for ending Zoomlion’s monopoly, pointing out that past contracts haven’t solved waste problems and sometimes squeezed local workers. The sanitation committee in Parliament, however, warned that abruptly cancelling Zoomlion’s deals could cost thousands of jobs. One MP even said he favored studying all angles first, proposing a special fund for sanitation instead.
In this tug-of-war, the Buz Stop Boys model offers a middle way: complementarity, not conflict. Instead of seeing Zoomlion and volunteers as adversaries, Ghana can use both. Zoomlion could subcontract to local clean-up teams or co-host campaigns with civic groups. For example, after helping BSB on Spintex, Zoomlion might formally invite them to cover other fringe areas. Local authorities might assign the Buz Stop Boys zones that get little attention from big firms, such as rural townships or informal settlements, plugging gaps in the sanitation framework.
The goal is clear: harness the zeal of volunteers without disrupting livelihoods. By building bridges, government can ensure private firms, public agencies and citizens all fight filth together. In practice, this means contracts might stipulate joint ventures (Zoomlion + community teams) or shared equipment pools. Policymakers can watch this space: the Buz Stop Boys have shown that all hands on deck yield results, so policy should invite them in rather than keep them out.
Jobs Through a Cleaner Ghana
Sanitation isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a job opportunity. Ghana’s youth unemployment hovers around 20%, yet cleaning and recycling work remain labor-intensive by nature. Experts stress that “youth unemployment is a major concern in Ghana, but there are job creation prospects in the waste management sector”. Every step, street sweeping, waste collection, sorting and recycling, requires workers.
If local governments back Buz Stop Boys-style brigades, they can convert volunteer energy into real jobs. For example, each regional city could sponsor a sanitation squad of 20–50 youth, paying them a small salary or stipend. Nationwide, this would translate into hundreds of green jobs. These positions could be entry-level or part-time, appealing to unemployed graduates or out-of-school youth who want income while contributing to the community. Over time, experienced members might spin off as waste entrepreneurs, running micro-collection businesses or recycling cooperatives, multiplying impact.
Putting numbers on it: if just 10 large towns each ran a paid cleanup crew of 30 people, that’s 300 employment slots instantly. Multiply by other districts, and you see how civic cleanups can ease unemployment. Importantly, these jobs help public health too: cleaner cities mean less flooding, fewer diseases and better tourism prospects. Indeed, by linking sanitation to livelihood programs (for instance under the Youth Employment Agency), government can tackle two priorities at once.
Key point: Real public-private partnership in sanitation, from Zoomlion contracts to volunteer hubs, should explicitly include youth employment goals. The Buz Stop Boys are already proving that willingness exists; policy can channel that willingness into sustainable work.
Moving Forward: Policy Recommendations
Ghana’s decision-makers have a rare chance to build on this momentum. Concrete actions could include:
- Empower Local Assemblies: Give district and city authorities a sanitation grant line in their budgets to support volunteer brigades. Councils can then fund uniforms, tools or even pay a small stipend to teams like the Buz Stop Boys.
- Incorporate into Youth Employment: Task the Youth Employment Agency and National Youth Authority with creating a “Sanitation Module”, hiring groups of youths for periodic community clean-ups. This converts volunteer time into formal work experience, with stipends or benefits.
- Expand Public-Private Programs: Encourage Zoomlion and other waste firms to co-fund community brigades. For instance, require large sanitation contracts to include sub-contracts with civic crews. Zoomlion’s initial support for BSB shows this model can work.
- Launch a Sanitation Innovation Fund: As Parliament suggested, set up a dedicated fund (maybe via EPA or MLGRD) to seed grassroots initiatives. Grants from this fund could buy equipment or run pilot brigades in underserved regions.
- Replicate Nationwide: Publicize the Buz Stop Boys blueprint and encourage other cities to start their own versions. National ministries (Local Government, Water & Sanitation, Youth) could run a “Clean Cities” campaign encouraging mayor-led volunteer squads in every regional capital and district center.
Ghana can cement the Buz Stop Boys’ success into lasting policy. The result would be cleaner neighborhoods and meaningful work for young people, a double win for citizens and the state. Instead of applauding good deeds only on social media, decision-makers can make those deeds part of Ghana’s sanitation architecture. In the end, supporting the Buz Stop Boys isn’t charity; it’s smart policy: cleaner streets, empowered youth, and a healthier Ghana for all.
