There was joy and excitement when the chiefs and people of the Leklebi Fiape, Leklebi Agbesia, Tafi Mador, and Adigbotonu all farming communities within the Afadjato South District of the Volta Region when officials of Plan International Ghana visited that enclave to commission mechanized water systems and girl child-friendly latrines for usage by residents and school-going children.
The girl-friendly latrines have also been fitted with changing rooms to enable menstruating school-going adolescent girls to change themselves in a dignified manner during their menses.
Hence, a total of 12 girl-friendly latrines, 5 Limited Mechanized Systems, and 11 hand pump boreholes have been constructed under the Rural Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (RWASH) project in different communities of the same district at a cost of over GHS 1million.
In that vein, there was pomp and pageantry at a durbar on Thursday 15th October 2020, by the Chiefs and people of the Leklebi traditional area to commission the facilities and also commemorate Global Handwashing Day, which is an annual day set aside globally to deepen the benefits of handwashing with soap under running water as a means to curtail some diseases like coronavirus (COVID 19).
The day was marked on the theme, ‘Hand Hygiene for All’, with a call to action to make hand hygiene a reality for all amid the COVID 19 pandemic.
RWASH Project
The facilities were constructed as part of key components of the NGOs RWASH project, which basically is meant to increase access to safe, affordable, and sustainable drinking water to 32,333 beneficiaries with special attention to the needs of vulnerable girls and women within thirty-six communities in three districts which are Agona East in the Central Region, Akuapem North in the Eastern Region and Afadzato South in the Volta Region.
In his address, the Country Director Plan Ghana, Mr. Solomon Tesfamariam indicated that it was important that life was saved in communities and schools hence GHD was meant to increase awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
“Currently, the Corona Virus has taken over the world highlighting the importance of appropriate hand hygiene, particularly handwashing with soap under running water. To beat the virus today and ensure better health outcomes beyond the pandemic, handwashing with soap must be a priority now and in the future”, he indicated.
He stressed that to give more practical meaning to the year’s celebration of Global Hand Washing, Plan International Ghana has mobilized and supported 36 communities under its RWASH Programme so as to reach out to an estimated sixteen thousand, two hundred (16,200) children in various communities with behavior change messages on handwashing and basic sanitation.
Mr. Tesfamariam stated, “Plan International Ghana believes that safe, adequate and affordable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as the promotion of women's empowerment, can be an entry point to ensure that women and girls enjoy their right to have and make choices, their right to have access to opportunities and resources, and their right to control their own lives, both inside and outside the home”.
He commended government for its recent free water for all Ghanaians and disinfection of schools and reminded all that the coronavirus was real and now part of us hence the more reason why simple things like hand washing must be an everyday thing.
He, therefore, applauded the Chiefs, community members, teachers, students, and all sundry for their efforts to ensure that the completion of the projects were realized and urged them to use them meaningfully for posterity.
Plan Ghana also donated 57 tacky taps with its associated Verona buckets to aid the proper means of handwashing with soap under running water.
On his part, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Hon. Johnson Avuletey indicated that the need for regular handwashing with soap has been emphasized by the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, hence it’s important for the safety protocols to adhere so that we will be safe all the time.
“The importance of handwashing or hand hygiene is further highlighted in the fact that it helps in the reduction of the number of people who get flu and food poisoning among others. In fact, it has been reported that there has been a notable reduction in the cases of cholera in the Region as well as the Country since the outbreak of the COVID 19 all due to strict adherence to hand hygiene and other safety protocols”, he noted.
He, therefore, thanked Plan Ghana for being a worthy partner in development.
The Chief of Leklebi Fiape, Torgbui Dey V, thanked Plan Ghana for continuously supporting the wellbeing of communities across Ghana and assured the sustainable use of the facilities for posterity.
To show their appreciation, officials of Plan Ghana were honoured by the Chiefs and people of the area for their humanitarian gesture to the people of Afadjato South.
Plan International Ghana has since supported the Government’s efforts to stopping the spread of the virus through;
Provision of safe water access and improved hygiene to 32,000 direct beneficiaries through the construction of 60 water facilities,
1,250 handwashing facilities provided to improve regular handwashing in schools and health centers
1,250 liquid soap to promote handwashing with soap under running water among the populace especially children.
3,000 alcohol-based hand sanitizers
36 groups numbering 300 received training on liquid soap making to sustain regular handwashing with soap at the school.
Conducted community level coronavirus education with support from state agencies such as the Environmental Health Department and Community Water and Sanitation Agency.
