By Abdul Mansaray 

Walk through many busy streets or markets in Sierra Leone, and you will likely see children carrying trays of water, fruits, or small goods, hustling for sales in the scorching sun or under the rain. Some even without better clothes. Some are as young as seven or eight, yet they are already bearing the financial burdens that should rest on the shoulders of adults. This practice has become so normalized that many hardly question it. But we must ask ourselves: is this fair? Should children be the sales providers for their parents, or should parents fulfill their natural duty as the providers for their children?

The answer is clear. Childhood is meant for learning, growth, and play not for hustling to put food on the table. Many may say they will add to the bringing at home. Ask yourself this, is this their responsibility, or the responsibility of their parents? When children are pushed into trading, their education is often the first casualty. Hours that should be spent in classrooms or at home reading books are wasted in the streets, and the long-term effect is devastating. A child who misses out on education today is likely to struggle with poverty tomorrow, thus repeating the very cycle their parents were trying to escape.

Beyond education, there is also the issue of safety. Street trading exposes children to dangers no child should face traffic accidents, harassment, abuse, and even exploitation. A society that allows its children to roam the streets selling goods is not protecting its future; it is exposing its most vulnerable citizens to harm. Parents have the responsibility to shield their children from such risks, not to place them in harm’s way.

Culturally, many justify child trading as a way of “helping the family.” But let us be honest: parents bring children into this world, and with that comes a responsibility to nurture, provide, and sacrifice for them not the other way around. Children should not be breadwinners, they are not to be sole provider for their family. They should not be used as substitutes for their parents’ hard work or resilience.

It is time to challenge this norm. Government policies must be enforced to keep children in schools and out of markets. Communities must stop romanticizing child hustling as a form of responsibility and instead encourage parents to step up to their rightful roles. And parents themselves must remember that their children’s future is far more valuable than a few extra sales in the marketplace.

In the end, the equation is simple: when children are allowed to be children, society prospers. When parents take on their rightful role as providers, families thrive. We must therefore stand against the practice of turning children into sales providers and insist on a future where every child is given the chance to grow, learn, and dream.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 3rd September, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)