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Cleanliness is a key to human health and survival. Without cleanliness, human beings will always be prone to diseases and some health hazards which, sometimes, lead to death. 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness' is a quotation people wrongly ascribe to the Bible, though it is imperative that every individual, village, community, and nation stay away from filth so that they can have a good and a cordial relationship between themselves and their source of life, which is God. In the past, cleaning of our communities and cities was done by some individuals employed by the assemblies. Due to the limited number of the workers and the sanitation guards, and the few measures that were placed on sanitation, mountains of rubbish were often gathered at lorry stations, along side streets and market where food stuffs were sold. This act of indiscipline easily polluted the air, causing diseases like malaria, cholera, and typhoid, and killing people, including defenseless children. Fortunately, Zoomlion Ghana Limited came in to at least rescue some parts of the country that have been engulfed in filth. Little by little, they had a wider spread by tending to almost all the regions, and eventually ended up in employing more of the youths under the National Youth Employment Programme to multiply their number, with the aim to kicking out filth as quickly as possible from the country. Not only were they seen in the practical aspects tidying up our nooks and crannies, but also due to the stubborn minds of the citizenry, they had to embark on several sensitization workshops and forum to make the people understand the importance of importance and impact of hygiene and filth. Despite all these efforts, people still litter the community. At the end of the day, the sufferers are the ones we see on the street, sweating to gather the filth we generate. In every corner of the country, Zoomlion and AMA workers are seen on the streets, and from house to house, collecting rubbish or refuse. Majority of such personnel are from Zoomlion. They range between the ages of 18-45 years, however, most of the women are the ones often in the 30s and 40s with a few of them being the youths. When it comes to the men, the youth outnumber the old. In the beginning, the males were dominant, until it came to a point when they probably realized the strength of women and what they can do; so recruited them in line with the policy to meet the government expectations of gender balance. In an interview with some of the Zoomlion women, uncovered some problems facing them in their work, as mothers and as married women. One of them, who was seen sweeping the streets of New Town, is Mrs. Comfort Nyarko who has been into this job for four years. Challenges Madam Comfort is 41 years old and a married woman with four children. She had certain problems with her last business and stayed in the house for 3 years. In order to engage herself and assist her husband, she decided to join Zoomlion. Lucky for her, she has a very responsible husband who takes care of the children in terms of their education. "Had it not been for the support that I get from my husband, I would have left this job for another trade. Our monthly salary is just peanuts that no family can depend on,� she told us. A 45-year old mother of seven children, Auntie Maamle, sweeps along the streets of New Times Corporation. She left her husband 5 years ago in the village to Accra because he was not working to feed the family. He was unemployed. Life in Accra became very difficult for Maamle, after trying her hands fruitlessly on several trades. Two years after, she got employed in this job. With her seven children still dependent on her, she is bound to facing many financial crises. Zoomlion is the only way she gets support in meeting the financial obligations and commitments confronting her as a parent. She told this paper that, �Though I haven't regretted leaving the village, life here is so cruel to my family. I've been working for the AMA for the past three years; and I'm still earning GHC40 a month, which can't sustain my family for even two weeks.� According to her, her only luck stems from the fact that two of her children are matured and are helping her to take care of the family. Her first child, who just turned 16 years, pounds fufu as a labourer in a chop bar. The next is a 14 year-old girl, who washes people's clothing for money, while the younger one is an iced-water vendor in the neighbourhood where they live. All her children have never been in school before, because there was no money for school fees. In spite of the FCUBE programme, she complains of cash to meet transportation fares. Higher risk of contracting diseases Sweeping the streets every day is a health hazard. It is very dangerous not only in terms of the dust but also the stench of the smoke that come from refuse they are forced to burn. Some of these diseases that they normally contract are headaches, cold and coughs. The older ones sometimes suffer backaches and waist pains. One of such victim is Sophia Mensah, who previously worked on the Dzorwulu Highway. She has just been transferred to the Vice President residence. �I have been sweeping the streets for almost 10 years; I once had a problem with my spinal cord due to the posture that one adopts when sweeping. I stayed home for a year just to get back on my feet.� She believes catarrh is the most common of all the diseases most Zoomlionesses suffer. This is because tends to suffer from that nearly every day, despite the fact that they have a nose cap to protect their noses. Stench of aborted babies and toilets She is also confronted with the stench that comes from aborted bodies and lavatories that assails them daily from the gutters, when cleaning drains. All these, she said, are threats to human health when they inhale it. They find it difficult to eat when they remind themselves of some of these incidents. Accidents About 40% of them have, in one way or the other, she stated, been involved in accidents, owing to the nature of the job. A 25 year-old woman, Rita Azuma, whom The Statesman spoke to, was once knocked down by a trotro when she was weeping along the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Accra New Town. She had to be confined to a wheel chair for 6 months, before recovering and coming back to the work again. She had wanted to resign as a result of its risks factor and the low salary, but she chose to manage with the GHC50 she receives every month, rather than risk starting a new business, when she cannot predict whether she would be better off in that trade. Ghanaians do not respect them Majority of Ghanaians see these people as insignificants due to the work they do. Of course, as a company they gain recognition because Zoomlion has a name. As social beings, however, Ghanaians do not seem to be appreciating the people behind the success story of Zoomlion. �There is no respect for us at all�people just get up and call us all kinds of names and talk to us anyhow they like. Whether you are old or young, they don't care a hoot. Some go to the extent of calling us 'bola wura or 'bola car.'� She would plead to them to, �at least,� respect our work in the society as theirs are also respected,� Yaa Yeboah, a Zoomlioness, lamented. Salary at the right time Money is very essential in the lives of mankind and it helps one to meet his/her target at the end of the day. Almost all the workers The Statesman interviewed complained bitterly about their salary, particularly the fact that it is not paid on time. Looking at the risks involved in this work, they suggest that an extra allowance for health would have been better. Awo lives in Adenta and comes to work at Dzorwulu every day. Looking at the distance, she spends almost all her salary on transportation. �GH�50 per month is not enough at all, because the lorry fare alone takes all the money, and I can't even pay my kids school fees. As a result, two of them have dropped out. To me, I see it like we are working, but we don't get anything encouraging out of it. The most painful aspect is that, at times, things become so difficult that, even money for food, becomes a problem. I have to borrow before we eat. Going to the hospital also becomes a problem when you are not on the national health insurance scheme.� But the savings to get on board is the problem. To them, this is a duty they are doing for the country. But they also think they ought to be motivated do more. Because of the poor shape of economy, they should be assisted by being hooked onto a new salary structure. Unlike these women who are complaining bitterly about their salaries, Mercy Obeng is happy with hers. She affirmed that GH�50 a month is okay for her, because the work is such that you don't have to work the whole day. �It's just a matter of sweeping your portion within some few hours; and then you get back to your personal agenda. So to me, it is better than nothing at all.� 90% of them are illiterate �Because we are illiterates and we cannot write our petitions to the authorities,� no one takes our case serious.� According to her, �all these people are illiterate�just a hand full of them were able to pass through the primary level and about 20% of them have sent their children to school. Because of their poor educational background they can hardly raise their voices to their supervisors, concerning the problems they are going through.� Way forward One of them, who pleaded anonymity, told The Statesman that because hygiene is very important in the life of every community, individual or nation, it is important that we invest sufficiently in it. �Before we spend money on the comfort of big men in authority, we must first of all take into consideration the plight of those who are working on the filth we generate. �We cannot look down on those who are helping to clean the city. It would therefore be very unfair to treat them as low-class workers, by taking advantage of their background.� Since Zoomlion is a private company and the most popular in the country, the government can step in to provide assistance where necessary so that these workers can be well paid.�