Kayayei

The term kayayei (singular, kaya yoo) is a compound formed from two languages spoken in Ghana.

[4] Typically, Kaya carry their loads in a large pan placed on their heads, using a moistened coil of cloth as a buffer, see Head-carrying.

Occasionally, Kaya are brought into private homes to perform domestic tasks, where they may earn slightly more.

[1][2] In May 2016, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection Nana Oye Lithur ensured that over 1,000 kayayei from Agbogbloshie and Mallam Atta markets in Accra were registered onto the National Health Insurance Scheme, to help provide them access to basic healthcare service.

[5] In the 2017 annual budget, the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta exempted kayayei from paying market tolls to their various assemblies .