Tema-Ghana, April 19, CDA Consult – The Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project has stated that government monies allotted per child for school sanitation maintenance are woefully inadequate.
Mr. Emmanuel Addai, GAMA Knowledge Management Expert revealed that when GAMA Project developed a sanitary facility for schools, plans for its maintenance were to be submitted by the beneficiary institution to serve its long-term purpose, but in many cases, the schools were unable to maintain it owing to financial constraints.
He stated that some bathroom facilities at public schools are left unused due to a lack of money, while others are old KVIP toilets that are unsuited for use.
Mr. Addai noted that it was part of a series of actions planned by the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODE) to connect the commemoration of World Water Day in 2023 with Open Defecation.
The subject of the M-CODE observance of the 2023 World Water Day was “Let’s Kill Open Defecation Today!” Before It Kills Us Tomorrow.”
It is part of the national “M-CODE 2023 Anti-Open Defecation Nationwide Advocacy,” a relentless national effort aiming at abolishing the practice of defecating in the open rather than in a toilet, and is linking water problems to open defecation.
He emphasized that the KVIP toilets had been identified as sources of infection, thus the GAMA project was constructing contemporary toilets with characteristics necessary to minimize disease spread and make defecation comfortable for instructors and pupils.
Mr. Addai also revealed that the contemporary facilities will include changing rooms and showers for ladies so that they do not miss school when on their necessary menstrual circle.
He suggested that the assembly and the Ghana Education Service guarantee that finances were available to administer the facilities, as they became the property of the schools and assemblies.
Water has a significant association with toilets, according to Mr. Francis Ameyibor, M-CODe National Convenor, because open defecation impacts water bodies… “Toilets find their way into bodies of water, and people drink it as a result.”
Mr. Ameyibor, who also serves as the GNA Tema Regional Manager, stated that open defecation is a health danger that must be addressed.
He urged media outlets and personalities, traditional leaders, assembly presiding members, and regional coordinating councils to join M-CODE in its fight against the practice.
Mr. Joseph Korto, National Dean of Presiding Members and Presiding Member of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), for his part, assured that Presiding Members would deepen teaching on the importance of family toilets and escalate the fight against open defecation.
