14/11/2025
Six dreams crushed in a twinkle of an eye. Ghana, we failed our youth!
Three days ago, some of our youth walked into El Wak Sports Stadium full of hope. They were not criminals. They were not troublemakers. They were daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, friends, and future leaders who simply wanted a chance at a decent job. But six girls never returned home. No one should lose their life because they were looking for work.
What happened at El Wak is not “an unfortunate incident.” It is a reflection of how cheap the life of the young person has become in our society. We celebrate “youth empowerment” in speeches, yet we create systems that push thousands into overcrowded spaces without proper crowd control, or safety planning. Then we act surprised when tragedy strikes.
As a gender advocate, I cannot look at the faces of these six young women and stay silent. This is what inequality looks like in real life; girls who fight past stereotypes, work hard to get an education, only to die in a stampede while chasing an opportunity that should have been safe and well organized.
We owe them more than RIP posts. We need clear answers and firm actions.These six did not die so that we move on in a few days. Their memory must push us to redesign how we treat young people looking for work, and how we value our lives. Jobs must not be a death trap. Recruitment must not be a gamble with human life.
To the families, your daughters did not die because they were weak. They died trying to build a future. Their blood is a loud reminder that Ghana must do better by its youth.
May their dreams not end here. May their story be the turning point for many things in our country. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families🙏🏿
