The Director for the Pamela Bridgewater Project, Mr Yahaya Alhassan, praised Ms Otiko for her activism in working to support gender equality in Ghana.

According to Mr Alhassan, “She has been on the field with us and her language skills in Dagbani, Mamprusi, Twi, Hausa and Gonja facilitates direct communication with the girls on outreach programmes such as teenage pregnancy, unprotected sex, trafficking and abuse prevention.

“Regarding the ‘Kayayei to school’ programme where she served as an advisor to the kayayei mothers, this no doubt helped the mothers generate funds for their children’s fees. It is the best guarantee every mother can have in her old age,” he added.

Mr Alhassan said the Bridgewater Project, which campaigns for the future and welfare of kayayei through education, advocacy, protection and research, was of the strong conviction that a lot could be done to tackle the kayayei phenomenon which required a national effort and more compelling initiative.