Ada College of Education, GAMA graduate first-batch of bio-digester construction and installation trainees

Ada College of Education has graduated 31 trainees from its newly instituted biodigester construction and installation program.

The ceremony took place on Saturday, May 18, at the college in Ada, located in the Greater Accra region.

The program was facilitated by the GAMA Sanitation and Water Project of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, with sponsorship from the World Bank.

Over the course of seven intensive days of hands-on training, the trainees learned about biodigester technology, types, principles of operation, and construction of biodigester toilet systems.

They also received instruction in effluent management, operations and maintenance, as well as health, safety, and environmental considerations.

Additional topics included marketing, customer relations, user education for toilet users, and entrepreneurship.

“Since assuming the role of principal of this school, I observed that the Dangbe East and West Municipalities are areas in the Greater Accra Region where open defecation is prevalent,” said Professor Prince Boateng, Principal of Ada College of Education.

Professor Prince Boateng, Principal of Ada College of Education

He noted this program will help solve that problem and also provide job opportunities for the trainees, thereby calling on people to take advantage of the upcoming sections.

Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Kpodo David Kwami, the course representative of the group, said the training has empowered them to become ambassadors for sustainable waste management in their communities.

"We have learned how to design and install bio-digesters that can transform organic waste into valuable fertilizer, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting eco-friendly practices," he added.

Kpodo David Kwami, Course Representative

Speaking to the media on the sidelines, Mr. Quaranchie Adama-Tettey, Behavior Change and Communication Specialist of GAMA advised that Ghanaians must wake up to the reality that no matter what government does, waste management efforts will not work unless the citizenry owns and supports it.

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This comes after a biodigester construction and installation center was commissioned in the college in March by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources as part of the capacity-building initiatives of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project, funded by the World Bank.

The bio-digester toilet technology is fast becoming the preferred toilet option for many urban households in Ghana.

The 2021 population and housing census ranked the bio-digester toilet technology as the fourth most used toilet technology in Ghana with about 130,251 households using the technology across the country as at the time of the census.

The Ministry through the GAMA SWP has promoted the technology and provided over 520,000 people with access to bio-digester household toilets in Accra and Kumasi since 2015 to date.