In this deeply moving episode of the At the table with Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa , we bring you a heartfelt, essential conversation with Afua Panyin , an autistic fish headporter (kayayo) from Npoano, Elmina, in the Central Region of Ghana.
She has spent nearly a decade working as a head potter, specifically carrying heavy loads of fish for buyers in the market. Driven into the trade by necessity after seeing others do it, she quickly realized that the reality of the job was far from sustainable.
“Nothing makes me happy about this job because it is so difficult,” Afua shared in a recent interview.
Despite her harrowing circumstances, Afua harbors a clear vision for a better future. She wishes to leave the head potter trade behind forever and transition into retail.
“I’ve been here for long yearning to go into selling, but I don’t have the capital to start,” she said. When asked if she would ever recommend the kayayei trade to another young woman, her response was immediate and firm: “No. I even want to stop myself.”
For Afua, the physical toll of carrying heavy fish crates is compounded by another weight: her nursing baby. With no access to childcare, she is forced to strap her infant to her back while navigating the chaotic market lanes.
This desperate survival tactic has made her a target for public scrutiny and aggression. Market bystanders and clients frequently accuse her of mishandling her child.
“Carrying my baby in addition to the goods makes me weary,” Afua explained. “People accuse me of mishandling my baby, but it’s the nature of the work. Sometimes, they get angry and even want to beat me. My baby gets stressed out too and cries all the time, which prevents me from working.”
Despite the intense labor, the financial returns are meager. Afua notes that the pay is discouragingly low, leaving her unable to break the cycle of poverty. Beyond the financial strain and physical exhaustion, it is the daily loss of dignity that hurts the most.
When asked why she occasionally steps away from the job only to return, she revealed that the environment is rife with verbal abuse. “People provoke and frustrate me in the course of doing my work. They say I’m not worth it.”
With four young children to feed entirely on her own, Afua has no safety net. The father of her youngest child has passed away, and she receives no financial support from the fathers of her other children. “I do it all by myself,” she said.
Afua’s story highlights a critical gap in social protection for informal workers and vulnerable mothers in Ghana’s urban centers, where the fight for a daily bread often comes at the expense of human dignity and child welfare.
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Afua! How are you doing?
Afua – Good by God’s grace
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – What is your name?
Afua – My name is Afua Payin
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – How old are you?
Afua – I don’t know
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – You don’t know your age?
Is there not any event to give a gist about your birthday?
Afua – [ Afua nods in disagreement]
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – What do you do here?
Afua – I’m a head potter
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – A head potter? What is it about?
Afua – I carry fish, I help buyers carry their fish from here to their places
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – so when did you start doing this job?
Afua – I’ve been doing it for a long time
Alberta nana akyaa akosa – For how many years now?
Afua – I can’t really tell
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Could it be five to ten years?
[Afua nods in agreement]
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Why did you venture into this business? And what motivated you? Or did you start by self-motivation?
Afua – [Nods in agreement] I just went into this business myself
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – How did you discover this job?
Afua – I realized people were doing it so I got motivated to join the business.
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – So you got motivated by others?
Afua Yes
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – How happy and passionate are you about this job?
Afua – It’s really difficult for me, I sometimes take a break and resumes as time goes on.
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Why do you return to this job if it is that stressful?
Afua – People provoke and frustrate me in the course of doing my work
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Why do they provoke you?
Afua – They say I’m not worth it
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – But have you been making money from this business? Is the job paying well?
Afua – No! They don’t really pay well
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Then what changes do you want to see in your situation?
Afua – I want to start my own business by buying and selling
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – So is your work about helping people carry their goods without much profit? – So what makes you happy about this job?
Afua – Nothing makes me happy because it so difficult
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – What again?
Afua – And people provoke me more often, Also, carrying my baby in addition to the goods makes me weary and difficult to deal with ,- People accuse me of mishandling my baby but it’s the work. Sometimes, they get angry and want to beat me
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Oh really? So do you want to sell?
Afua – [Nods in agreement]
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – To do what else?
Afua – to sell, I have been here for long yearning to go into selling but I do not have the capital to start, and I have kids too
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – How many are they?
Afua – They’re four
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Really? How old are you?And where is your husband?
Afua – the last born’s father has passed away
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Meaning you have different men for your kids?
Afua – [Nods in agreement]
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Afua! Are you pleased with your job?
Afua – [Nods in disagreement]
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – What makes it unpleasant for you?
Afua – The reasons remain the same , People provoke me, and also gets stressed out carrying goods along my baby , My baby gets stressed out too and cries all the time preventing me from working
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – How many kids did you say you have?
Afua – they are four
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Four?Are their fathers helping to take care of them?
Afua – they don’t, I do it all by myself
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – You take care of them all? how old is the first born?
Afua – I don’t know but she is very little
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – So what changes do you want to see here?
Afua – I want them to stop provoking me
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Would that help you?
Afua – [Nods in agreement]
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – Afua! ,You’re now matured in this business. Would you recommend this job to others?
Afua – No!, I even want to stop myself
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa – So you are not encouraging anybody?
Afua – [Nods in disagreement
“At the Table with Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa” is a public interest programme brought to you by Agrihouse Foundation and its sister company, AgriWatchGH, in partnership with the World Food Forum Ghana Chapter, as part of activities commemorating the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
This initiative seeks to spotlight the stories, challenges, achievements, and contributions of women farmers across Ghana while creating awareness and mobilizing support for their critical role in agriculture and national development.
Individuals, organizations, and development partners who would like to support these women farmers and this public interest programme may contact:
Linda Boateng: 0209529627
Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa: 024 462 3012
Email: info@agriwatchgh.com
Together, let us celebrate, empower, and invest in the women who help feed our nation and shape the future of our agrifood systems.