Music stars sing praises of team sweeping Ghana clean

The number of volunteers will vary, depending on who has spare time that day.

A civil engineer, Mr Sarfo formed the group in July 2023 with just five people. He called it Buz Stop Boys, knowing the name would resonate with the public.

"The rich and poor, everybody knows what a bus stop is," Mr Sarfo said.

His small-scale initiative has now blossomed into a movement, with more than 40 men and women - from midwives to carpenters to military officers - joining.

"Social media has been key in getting more people to join our movement," Mr Sarfo said.

"Through our videos, we’ve been able to change the mindset of some people, but there’s still a lot of work to do."

It also led to a group of UK students visiting Ghana during their summer break to help with a clean-up operation in Ablekuma, an area in Accra notorious for its waste disposal issues.

"These boys are the real heroes. They are doing what most of us are too busy or too proud to do. If we all helped them, imagine how beautiful Accra would be," he said.

The donations have been bolstered by those of politicians.

Former President John Mahama - who is making a fresh bid for power by contesting elections due in December under the banner of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) - donated 50,000 cedis, while Transport Minister Asensu Boakye - who comes from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) - gave 10,000 cedis.

Welcoming the donations, Mr Sarfo said the cash was used to fund their activities - including paying for rubbish disposal and buying fuel for their tricycle to transport rubbish to a refuse site.

Politically non-partisan, the Buz Stop Boys' sole focus is on realising their vision of a cleaner Ghana - one street at a time.

"Individuals should take up initiatives because waiting for government hasn't worked over the decades and the records also show that in the event of an environmental disaster we as citizens suffer the most," Mr Sarfo said.

"It is therefore important for us to rise and help ourselves."

Mark Wilberforce is a freelance journalist based in London and Accra.