Black By God Joins Ghana's Buz Stop Boys Sanitation Movement: Beach Cleanup Set for December 19th

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By Crystal Good, Founder & Publisher, Black By God

ACCRA, Ghana — On my first trip to Ghana, I was in awe of all the things attracting so many people to this vibrant nation: the hospitality, the food, the culture. But I was also struck—not just by the poverty (I’m from West Virginia; poverty is not a surprise when you understand colonialism, extractive economies, and government mismanagement)—but by the litter.

The trash in the streets of Accra can be overwhelming. The smell can take your breath. In America, they would blame this on the unhoused and look away in disgust. Shame. But the litter in Accra is everyday people. It’s not considered a cultural norm to be shamed for being a litterbug, but perhaps that is changing.

Litter was the first thing that drove me into advocacy in elementary school when Governor Bob Wise visited and encouraged us to stop littering. It worked. As a child, I was so disturbed at people throwing washers and dryers and whatever else by the creek. I wanted to stop it, but how? Gov. Wise permitted me to do so, at least within my own family and neighborhood.

And when I saw Accra, I saw the same opportunity. Thankfully, my BBG Ghana team recognized it too. We know the best and most ethical way to build our platform is to be helpful. We do great content on tourism, travel, fashion—but we wanted to focus on a specific need of the community. There are plenty to choose from. We decided to help eradicate litter by offering education and our service.

A Movement Worth Supporting

The Buz Stop Boys, led by civil engineer OHeneba Kwadwo Sarfo, formed in July 2023 with just five people and has grown into a movement of more than 40 volunteers—from midwives to carpenters to military officers—who clean the streets of Greater Accra 2 to 4 times a week.

“Our goal is not just to clean the streets but to change mindsets,” Sarfo told the BBC in a recent article about the movement. “If we can make people understand that keeping their environment clean benefits everyone, we’ll have a cleaner, healthier, and prouder Ghana.”

The initiative has caught fire, attracting support from celebrities and politicians alike. According to GBC, President John Dramani Mahama recently honored the group with over 1,600 sanitation tools, including barrels, shovels, brooms, gloves, and buckets.

“We decided today to recognize these selfless, community-spirited young people who, for several years, using their own resources, their energy, and strength, continue to volunteer to keep our city clean,” President Mahama stated at the presentation ceremony in September 2025 as reported by GBC.

BBG on the Streets

Since our inception, we have been traveling the streets of Accra interviewing people, and on December 19th, our BBG team will be right there on the beach, participating, gathering documentation, and building out our signature “BBG on the Streets” interviews.