USAID WASH UP project ends

By Celestina Seyram Tsievor, GNA
Accra, June 25, GNA - Hope For future Generations (HFFG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has ended its behavioural change communication(BCC) component of the WASH UP project in La on at a Close up meeting in Accra.

The NGO committed to improving the health status of women and children, and poor communities received support from USAID through Global Communities in October, 2009 to implement the BCC component of the WASH-UP project in nine communities in the Greater Accra and Western Regions.

The venture was in line with the MDG 7, which aims to ensure environmental sustainability.

The project specifically contributed to national efforts at increasing the number of people with sustainable access to improved water sources and sanitation in urban areas.

Ms Janet Arthur, Project Coordinator, said the residents of the community were forthcoming and willing to help and this has impacted massively on their environment.

She noted that the education had achieved its expected outcome and she was very pleased to see the results of their hard work.

Monica Ahulu, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the project, said the successes achieved so far were immense and unbelievable.

She noted that since the project began the community members, markets, and schools had taken it very seriously and ensure that their environment is clean.

Mrs Ahulu said market queens used to say African germs are not harmful but now they ensure that they have soap and water with them always so to use anytime they visit latrines and before eating.

She said the schools are very clean now and every classroom has a Veronica bucket and soap as well as their school canteen where anyone could easily access it.

She said open defecation which used to be a huge problem had reduced drastically where most homes have latrines.

The close up meeting which was to end their work in the community but continues monitoring of the area would be done occasionally so that the WASHUP objectives would be sustained, she added.

Isaac Quarcoo, a footballer with Baby Boys Club told the Ghana News Agency that the project has broaden his knowledge on the need to wash hands after visiting the toilet, after playing football on the pitch and before and after eating.

He said the health benefits to these practices were of less value to them but now they care because it has improved their well-being and healthcare.

The Market Queen of their market said she has made it a point to visit the market women occasionally to ensure that they soap and water in their possession if not they are reminded to get it.

The markets are so clean that one could sleep there because their now very conscious of hygiene and their life.

Stakeholders who had been trained on the project would continue with the education even as it ends.

The stakeholders were awarded for their outstanding contribution to make the project a success and the beneficiaries were grateful to have learnt the best hygienic practices.

The second phase of the project which is the building of latrines would be carried out by Global Communities and other NGOs are to end in September, 2016.

GNA