Suaman Declared Defecation Free District

Five communities in the Suaman district in the Western Region have been declared open defecation free. This was publicized by Ghana -WASH – project, a non-governmental organization that has been working in the district for about three years.   

The aim of the NGO is to provide water, toilet facilities and basic sanitation infrastructure for households and hygiene practices.

 
The communities that attained full open defecation free (ODF) status and were declared include; Akuapemline, Asanteline, Kroboline, Tailorkrom and Gyampokrom.

 
Delivering a speech at the colourful ceremony, the District Chief Executive for Suaman and the guest of honour of the occasion, Mr. Joseph Betino expressed his gratitude to United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the main financiers, and other supporting agencies like Relief international, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Ghana- WASH - Project  in supporting and promoting Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Services delivery in some selected Districts.

 
Mr. Betino said, it was gratifying to note that the first community to be declared open defecation free (ODF) in the region under the project was in the Suaman district and urged all communities, including those not captured under Ghana-WASH- Project to emulate the shining models.

 
The District Chief Executive assured the Assembly Members whose electoral areas fall under communities declared as open defecation free, that the district assembly would do its maximum best to ensure that they provide refuse containers to these communities to assist in keeping the communities clean and for sustainability of the project.

 
Mr. Betino tasked the beneficiary communities to own the projects and develop good maintenance culture to ensure that they last long to serve the purpose for which they were provided.

 
'It is said a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, we must all be concerned about issues of health and sanitation,' he added.

 
The Community Led  Total Sanitation (CLTS) Agent for Ghana-WASH -Project in Aowin and Suaman districts, Mr. Michael Nti-Kwakye, on his part   said he was grateful to community leaders and the beneficiary communities for their support and commitment in ensuring that their aim of improving access to safe and adequate water supply and basic sanitation infrastructure for households.

 
Mr. Nti-Kwakye said in Aowin and Suaman Districts alone, Ghana-WASH-Project, through the USAID, was able to initiate and complete the following projects, 1001 household latrines, 21 hand dug-wells, 8 institutional latrines and 12 school health educational programmes.

 
He said in order to ensure that their initiated projects were sustained, they were able to have a series of workshops for regional and district environmental health officers, environmental health assistants and community leaders. 

 
Nana Ebbi Ngetaa II, the Benkumhene of Suaman Traditional council lauded Ghana-WASH-Project for initiating and inculcating into the people, especially in the beneficiary communities.