Otumfuo Foundation launches schools' sanitation project

The Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Charity Foundation has initiated a project on hand-washing with soap for first cycle schools in the country, under the Water and Sanitation component of the Foundation's thematic areas of operation.

Over 1,000 schools in the Ashanti and other regions of the country would be supplied with Veronica Buckets between 2011 and 2015.

The materials will be distributed according to the population of beneficiary school, under the initiative dubbed 'Adepa' [good thing] project, which will also include the provision of water reservoirs, boreholes and hand dug wells to communities.

PZ Cussons will be committing some 50,000 Ghana Cedis into the project, in addition to providing detergents to sustain implementation. The ministries of health and education are also supporting the programme.

Executive Director of the Charity Foundation, Dr. Thomas Agyarko-Poku says the project investment will be increased by 50 percent every five years.

“Hand-washing is one of the best ways to ensure that we do not swallow germs, bacterial into the body. This is most predominant in school-going age; diarrhea is predominant among children and we believe this is going to improve sanitation among children”, he told Luv FM in Kumasi.

Dr. Agyarko-Poku said other organizations will be invited on board to entrench education on environmental and personal hygiene in schools.

The Otumfuo Charity Foundation was established in April 2009 as the umbrella organization to consolidate and further expand on all the gains of initiatives of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

It undertakes programmes and promotes initiatives in the areas of education, health, culture and heritage which will help establish a healthy, educated, prosperous and high-achieving generation.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv FM/Ghana