Five (5) communities in the Suaman District in the Western Region have been declared open defecation free.

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SUAMAN: 5 communities declared open defecation free

Five (5) communities in the Suaman District in the Western Region have been declared open defecation free.


Date Created : 2/5/2014 12:32:48 PM : Story Author : GhanaDistrict.Com

Five (5) communities in the Suaman District in the Western Region have been declared open defecation free.

The communities that attained full open defecation free (ODF) status include Akuapemline, Asanteline, Kroboline, Tailorkrom and Gyampokrom.

This was publicized by the Ghana-WASH-project, a non-governmental organisation that has been in operation within the District for about three years with the aim of providing water, toilet facilities, and basic sanitation infrastructure for households and hygiene practices.

Delivering a speech at the colourful ceremony, the District Chief Executive for Suaman, Mr. Joseph Betino expressed gratitude to the main financiers, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other supporting agencies like Relief international, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Ghana-WASH Project in supporting the programme.

Mr. Betino said, it was gratifying to note that the first community to be declared open defecation free (ODF) in the region under the project was in the Suaman District and urged all communities including those not captured yet to emulate the shining models, good hygiene and sanitation practices of these 5 communities so that not sooner than later the entire district would be declared open defecation free (ODF)

The District Chief Executive also assured the Assembly Members whose electoral areas benefitted that the District Assembly would do its maximum best to ensure that they provide refuse containers to these communities to assist in keeping the communities really clean and for the sustainability of the project.

Mr. Betino tasked the beneficiary communities to own the projects and develop good maintenance culture to ensure that they last long to serve the purposes for which they were provided.

“It is said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, we must all be concerned about issues of health and sanitation.” he added.

The Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Agent for Ghana-WASH Project in Aowin and Suaman districts, Mr. Michael Nti-Kwakye for his part was grateful to the leadership of the beneficiary communities for their support and commitment to ensuring that the aim of the programme was realized.
Mr. Nti-Kwakye said, in Aowin and Suaman Districts alone, Ghana-WASH-Project through the support of the USAID initiated and completed the following projects; 1001 household latrines, 21 hand dug-wells, 8 institutional latrines and 12 school health educational programmes.

He said in order to ensure that their initiated projects were maintained and sustained; they additionally had a series of workshops for Regional and District Environmental Health Officers, environmental health assistants, community natural leaders, artisans, pump mechanics, food vendors, adding that they also formed clubs on hygiene and sanitation in schools to intensify hygiene and sanitation education in basic schools.

Nana Ebbi Ngetaa II, the Benkumhene of Suaman Traditional council lauded Ghana-WASH-Project for initiating and inculcating into the people especially the beneficiary communities’ hygiene and sanitation practices.

By Wise Zah/Dist. Information Office