1st Batch of bio-digester artisans graduate

The first batch of 31 artisans who have been trained in bio-digester construction and installation at the Bio-digester Construction Centre located at the Ada College of Education (ADACOE) in the Greater Accra Region have graduated.

The all-male trainees were taken through introduction to bio-digester technology, types and principles of bio-digester, effluent management, operations and maintenance, health, safety and environmental considerations over a one-week intensive training period.

Additionally, the trainees were given some training in marketing, customer relations, user education of toilet users and entrepreneurship. The artisans, who were drawn from all parts of the country, were presented with their certificates at a graduation ceremony held at ADACOE last Saturday (May 18).

The Principal of ADACOE, Prof. Prince Boateng, was joined by the Behaviour Change Communication expert at the GAMA-SWP, Quaranchie Adama-Tettey, to present the certificates to the artisans.

They will serve as pioneers in the country’s quest to construct an estimated four million toilets to achieve United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Six – Access to clean water and sanitation for all.

 Context

The centre was built by the World Bank-funded GAMA-SWP in collaboration with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and ADACOE to be used for the training of artisans who will be equipped with expertise and certified to construct bio-digesters across the country.

The training centre for the construction of bio-digester toilets was inaugurated at ADACOE) on March 11. The 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) had revealed that only 25.3 per cent of the country’s population had access to improved sanitation that was not shared while 17.7 per cent of Ghanaians still practised open defecation.

With the country’s current population being over 33 million, it means that 24.7 million people do not have access to improved sanitation facilities while over 5.8 million defecate in the open.

Against that backdrop, stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector have stated that for the country to stand a chance of achieving SDG 6, more commitment must be made in the establishment of WASH infrastructure.

Bio-digester acceptance

Mr Adama-Tettey said the training of the artisans was a proactive initiative because the use of the bio-digester toilet option had been boosted across the country through the GAMA-SWP.

He said out of the over 50,000 toilets provided under the project so far, 98 per cent of them were bio-digesters.

“Indeed, the 2021 PHC data has revealed that 130,251 of bio-digester toilet facilities are being used across the country with 57 per cent of them in Greater Accra, 14.4 per cent in Central Region, 7.1 per cent in Eastern Region, 6.5 per cent in Ashanti and 14.5 per cent in the other regions,” he said.

He added that the surge in the use and acceptance of the bio-digester toilets across the country was largely because it was easy and simple to install; had minimal maintenance cost; required minimal space for construction; was environmentally friendly; and saved water.

“It has, therefore, become the technology of choice for low-income dwellers who have constraints with space,” he said.

Good ambassadors

For his part, Prof Boateng urged the artisans to be good ambassadors of the GAMA-SWP and ADACOE. He said the training of the artisans was particularly important because it would help to reduce open defecation and put the country on the right path to achieve SDG six.

Again, he said the initiative would create employment opportunities for the youth and help to tackle unemployment.