NGO proposes subsidy model for sustainable community latrine campaign

Wa, (UW/R)-Ghana, April 16, GNA – Mr Martin Sumbo, the Upper West Regional Programmes Manager of Global Communities has proposed a well-coordinated and targeted subsidy model for households that will enable them construct durable latrines.
He said that would also ensure a sustainable fight against open defecation in the country.
He said some households at the community level that were encouraged to construct the Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) model latrines needed to be supported to construct durable latrines to avoid relapse.
Mr Sumbo made the proposal during a meeting of the Upper West Regional Inter-agency Coordinating Committee on Sanitation (RICCS) in Wa to discuss effective ways of fighting the sanitation situation in the region, especially open defecation.
He asserted that the CLTS model toilet facilities which are constructed with inferior materials such as wooden decking was not sustainable and thus needed a different approach to providing support to people who really want to construct such durable latrines that could stand the test of time.
“Together as RICCS in this room we should start thinking of the type of latrines that are resilient and durable with some form of subsidy … for the sake of our people because we cannot continue to come to them every year with CLTS, they are building the latrines, which are collapsing.
“People’s behaviour has changed now, and I think if there is this subsidy and people show motivation for it you can provide the roofing sheet and supper structure and they will take care of the sub-structure, why not,” he explained.
Mr Sumbo observed that the subsidy intervention could save the development partners and the government from continuously investing resources in communities and to engaging the people in the CLTS campaign which was not sustainable.
Madam Freda Natu, the Upper West Regional Director of the Environmental Health, and Sanitation Department (EHSD), indicated that the Pro-poor Guidelines on the CLTS supported the subsidy model for poorer households but stressed the need for rigorous sensitisation of the community members before offering support to construct the latrines.
She expressed fear that, “If we want to be giving the support it will be like the good old days where you give all the support and when you go back you realise the people are misusing the facilities.”
“If we want to send subsidy wholesale, then we will be looking for trouble for ourselves,” she maintained, and said the communities should be encouraged to construct resilient latrines and those who could not afford genuinely should be assessed and then supported.
Madam Natu also encouraged the development partners not to only focus on achieving open defecation communities but to consider reaching sanitised communities level.
Information from the Regional EHSD indicated that the Nadowli-Kaleo, Wa East, and Sissala East Districts had so far gazetted by-laws on sanitation with the Nadow-Kaleo district already prosecuting nine people for sanitation-related offenses.