‘Evacuation Boys’ Return To Aid Ghana’s Sanitation

Ghanaian returnees from South Africa have formed a volunteer group known as the “Evacuation Boys” and pledged to support national development through sanitation and community service. The group, which adopted the slogan “Evacuation Boys: We Came Back to Give Back,” says its experiences in South Africa have strengthened its determination to contribute to Ghana rather than remain dependent on government assistance after returning home.

The pledge was made after 86 Ghanaian nationals arrived at the Accra International Airport on Monday, August 17, 2026, under the second phase of the government’s repatriation exercise from South Africa. According to a Ghana News Agency (GNA) report, the latest arrivals have pushed the number of Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa to more than 1,700. Speaking on behalf of the group, its leader, Richard Addai, said the returnees viewed their arrival not simply as the end of a difficult experience abroad but as an opportunity to contribute to the country. “We are back for good and we want to give back to our country,” he said.

Mr Addai said members had endured difficult and traumatic experiences amid xenophobic attacks in South Africa but remained determined to turn those experiences into a positive force for their communities. He said sanitation and environmental cleanliness were among the areas the group intended to focus on, explaining that members were prepared to volunteer their time and resources to support efforts to address the country’s sanitation challenges. The group also appealed to the government, businesses, civil society organisations and individuals to support its initiative and provide opportunities through which the returnees could participate meaningfully in community development.

The initiative adds a new dimension to the government’s ongoing efforts to reintegrate Ghanaians returning from South Africa, where renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant demonstrations had heightened concerns about the safety of Ghanaian nationals. The government had advised Ghanaians in affected areas to remain vigilant and avoid locations associated with protests, marches, road blockades and large gatherings.

As part of the repatriation programme, authorities have been providing various forms of assistance to help returnees settle back into their communities. Harold Agyemang, Coordinating Director for Political and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said measures had been put in place to facilitate the returnees’ reintegration and help them regain economic stability. The support includes transportation assistance to enable evacuees to travel to their respective destinations, as well as reintegration assistance to help them restart their lives.

Medical and psychosocial support have also been made available, particularly for returnees who experienced trauma and distress during the circumstances that led to their departure from South Africa. The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s intervention followed the escalation of security concerns linked to xenophobic incidents and anti-immigrant protests in parts of South Africa. The first batches of returnees arrived in Ghana earlier as the government began bringing home citizens who wished to leave the country amid the deteriorating situation.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, speaking during an earlier reception for returnees, said the government’s responsibility extended beyond transporting citizens to safety to helping them rebuild their lives after returning home. The Evacuation Boys’ initiative appears to complement that reintegration effort by positioning the returnees not only as beneficiaries of assistance but also as volunteers willing to contribute to the communities in which they will rebuild their lives. Their decision to focus on sanitation also places the group within one of Ghana’s long-running national development challenges, with poor waste management and environmental degradation continuing to affect communities across the country.

For the returnees, however, the initiative represents more than a sanitation campaign. It is an attempt to transform a painful experience abroad into renewed civic responsibility at home. Through their message — “We came back to give back” — the Evacuation Boys say they want their return to mark the beginning of a period of service, participation and contribution to Ghana’s development.

By: Joyce Owusu