WASH Project Receives Support From Australian High Commission

The Australian High Commission, under its 2018 Direct Aid program (DAP), has extended support to construct a 12-Seater Bio-Latrine at Captain Schools in the Ahanta West Municipality, of the Western Region.

The Direct Aid Programme (DAP) is a flexible small grant funded by the Australian government and managed through the department of foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Overseas posts.

A statement signed by Mr Atsu George Geraldo de Lima, the Lead Consultant and Captain Centre for Education and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the funds, aims to support projects with a strong developmental focus.

It complements Australian's broader Aid programme, which contributes to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

The statement said the Captain Schools is a social enterprise in education, offering free tuition private basic education to orphans, children with single parents and children from low income households.

It said the school over the past four years had successfully educated over 260 children from ten communities in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region of Ghana.

It said the vision of the school is to contribute towards the alleviation of poverty through education.

"This is in fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goal four, which seeks to ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

"The project, which stems from the lack of a hygienic and modern place of convenience for the school, which pose challenges such as, student's absenteeism especially female students, staff visiting neighbours' homes to use the toilet often resulting in quarrelling and frequent harassment by health authorities.

"The objective of this project is to create a convenient, functional and sustainable biogas latrine facility for the school and the community of Apemenym.

"The project when completed will serve the WASH and Sustainable Energy Centre and in this regard will serve as a Biogas Technology Demonstration.

"The project consist of 12-seater toilet chambers, biogas system with gas supply, gas irrigation and a gas lighting system", the statement said.

The statement said the project conforms to the United Nations Agenda 2030, Sustainable Development Goals 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, which sought to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

"Goal seven: affordable and clean energy and Goal four: that sought to promote quality education as a key to poverty alleviation, a mandate the Australian government ascent thereof.

"Some expected outcome of the projects are: better sanitation and hygienic conditions, biogas energy production, improved confidence and self-esteem of the students especially the female students and improvement of academic and retention of students.

"The indirect beneficiaries of the project are the Chiefs and people of Apemenym, the Ghana Education Service and the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly", the statement said. GNA