80% of Kpandai communities declared open defecation free.
The Kpandai District Assembly in the Northern Region has chalked success in the area of sanitation as several communities in the district have been declared Open Defecation Free (OPF).
This has been possible as a result of the UNICEF support to the communities in the district to put up household toilets under its Community-led Total Sanitation project.
The project, whose primary focus is to end open defecation in the country offered financial support in the form of loans to the residents to construct toilets in their homes.
A visit to the district by Ghanaian Times at the weekend revealed that every single household in most of the communities in the area has at least a toilet facility.
The chief of Tikarini, Ndiga commended UNICEF for the tireless effort in transforming their community.
He maintained that the UNICEF support did not only address the sanitation challenges, but it had help improved their economic status significantly.
The chief revealed that many of the people in the community were always spending much of their time and resources in treating themselves in the clinics due to poor nature of the environment.
He indicated that the resources that were spent on medical bills were now being channeled to investments such as farming and livestock rearing.
A resident of Tikarini, Paul Inkagbe in an interaction with the Ghanaian Times said the construction of toilet facilities in the area had brought dignity to them, stressing that both men and women used to see each other’s nakedness, thanks to UNICEF these disgraceful scene is a thing of the past.
He revealed that he had been ‘chased’ by reptiles on several occasions when he attempted to attend to nature’s call in the bush when there were no toilets.
Mr Inkagbe remarked that now the residents can go to the toilet without using torch lights at midnight.
Residents of Kwata-pe in the same district who were elated about the assistance of UNICEF showered praises on them and the assembly for their tireless effort in assisting them to now have decent toilets in their various homes.
The elder of Kwata-pe, Mudey Bawa thanked UNICEF for partnering the assembly to improve their living conditions, stressing that they felt proud receiving visitors in their homes since they have toilet facilities.
He said hitherto they had difficulties hosting visitors because of lack of toilet facilities in the community.
The District Chief Executive of Kpandai, Emmanuel Kofi Tatablata expressed gratitude to UNICEF for partnering with the assembly to end open defecation in most of the communities.
The DCE pledged to collaborate with stakeholders in the country to sustain the behavioural change towards improved sanitation in the area.
Mr Tatablata thereby entreated community leaders not to relent on their efforts but to continue to always keep their environment clean.
FROM YAKUBU ABDUL-MAJEED, KPANDAI
