UN-Habitat trains schools and colleges on hygiene habit

Water and Sanitation Club (WATSAN), a United Nations (UN) Habitat and a Ghana Education Service (GES) sponsored programme, Water for Africa Cities II (WAC) have inaugurated a project under which students from schools and colleges are being trained to be aware of the linkages between good drinking water, safe disposal of waste, hygienic habits and health.

It also aimed at facilitating changes in attitude and behaviour of children and adults in schools and communities to promote better understanding of the environment in water, sanitation and hygiene context.

The project, inaugurated in Accra at the weekend and dubbed; “Human Value Based Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education” drew participating schools and colleges that have formed the clubs from Nsawam Presby Junior High School (JHS), Weija JHS, Larterbiorkorshie Two and Three Primary Schools, Accra Training College, Sabon Zongo Daawuta and Buhari Islamic Schools .

Addressing the students, Mrs Abena Ntori, representative of UN-Habitat said value based education was an important agent for behavioural and attitudinal changes of key actors in the urban scene, particularly in dealing with issues that affect everyday life in the cities.

She said people attitudes towards keeping and ensuring a clean environment needed to change for the better to improve health and proper sanitation facilities on a sustainable basis in the country to meet the Millennium Development Goals, such as creating awareness about water and sanitation issues.

Mrs Sarah Agyeman-Dua of Curriculum Research and Development Division of the GES said nurturing values, such as honesty, tolerance, responsibilities and curing in children during their formative years helps them to become responsible adults in future.

She said every child or student has the capacity to care about values and to positively interact, explore and catch human value when provided with opportunity to learn.

Mrs Agyeman-Dua said children also thrive in values-based atmosphere in a positive, safe environment of mutual respect and care, where they could be capable of learning to make socially conscious choices.

Madam Jane Oku, Assembly woman and Chairperson of the Sabon Zongo Development Committee, expressed gratitude to the UN-Habitat and the GES for selecting Sabon Zongo among seven communities for the inauguration of the clubs.

She urged the children to explore and develop positive and lasting change in their behaviour and attitude that would promote hygienic living and use of water in a more sustainable manner.