WaterAid, Bongo Assembly partnership yields results in wash activities

The partnership between the Bongo District Assembly in the Upper East Region and WaterAid Ghana in the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities is yielding positive results.

Currently there is a general improvement in WASH services in Bongo particularly water which now has a coverage of 84% in the district.

Furthermore, the Assembly now recognises the need to prioritise WASH services leading to an increase in the District’s WASH expenditure from GHC1.1milion in 2018 to GHC2.6million in 2019 representing an increase of 136 percent.

The Bongo District Chief Executive, Mr Peter Ayinbisa made this known at Bongo when a delegation from WaterAid Ghana (WAG) and the Zochonis Charitable Trust Foundation called on him at his office to discuss prospects of improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the District.

The interaction with the DCE formed part of the delegation’s field visit to assess some WASH intervention projects carried out by WAG in the Bongo and Kassena Nankana West Districts.

The delegation included two representatives from the Trust Foundation, Messrs Paul Milner and Christopher Nigel Green, while WaterAid was represented by the Programmes Manager (Technical) Mr Sampson Tettey and the Grants Manager Mr David Aidoo.

Impact

Welcoming the delegation, Mr Ayinbisa acknowledged the impact of WaterAid’s intervention in the Bongo district.

He urged the Trustees to visit schools, healthcare facilities and communities that WAG supported to help them appreciate the impact of the organisation’s operations.

Tour

The delegation visited some WAG-supported projects in Bongo and Kassena Nankana West Districts which were designed to go beyond the provision of WASH infrastructure to sensitising communities to appreciate the health benefits of owning household toilets and practising good hygiene.

At Kabre Community for instance, the delegation saw Limited Solar mechanized water system, bio-digester water closet toilet facility constructed for Kabre Primary and (noticeable) household latrines with tippy taps for handwashing.

The school children of the Kabre Primary demonstrated how they use Healthy Play to motivate people to practise good hygiene habits.

The trustees interacted with the pupils and learnt a lot from the experiences they shared.

Other places toured were the Wagliga Community Health-based Planning Services (CHPS) compound where WaterAid has worked with its partners to provide comprehensive WASH services.

The delegation also toured the Katui CHPS compound in the Kassena Nankana West district of the Upper East Region.

The Midwife and In-charge of the Katui CHPS compound, Ms Faustina Sedjoah recounted the challenges they faced without adequate water to work with.

Ms Sedjoah indicated that she was looking forward to having adequate water to provide her clients with improved health services since a solar powered water system is under construction at the health facility. The intervention includes Limited Solar Mechanize Water System, Incinerator and toilet facilities for clients and health workers.

Ms Sedjoah expressed concern that pregnant women cannot use the KVIP because of its narrow door.

“All these challenges will soon be over when the facilities are ready, and this will help the nurses to practice what they teach patients about hygiene” she noted.

Katui CHPS with the In-Charge and a new mother flanked by Zochonis Trustees and WaterAid Team.

Appreciation

At the end of the visit, the Trustees expressed their satisfaction and appreciation of WaterAid’s work in improving access to WASH in the country.

The Zochonis Charitable Trust is currently supporting WaterAid’s work in the Region and will be extending it to 2020 for more communities to gain access to WASH services.

The Grants Manager for WAG, Mr Aidoo thanked the Foundation for the continued funding support and the Trustees for their passion and technical advice.

He said WaterAid Ghana is open to working with more partners to transform lives through the provision of WASH services in the hard-to-reach communities of Ghana.

Background

WaterAid Ghana, a charitable organisation that focuses on the provision of WASH in marginalised communities, has carried out different interventions in the Bongo and Kassena Nankana West Districts in the Upper East region.

The recent intervention was the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Public Heath (WASH4PH) project which was funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, the department that manages Canada's diplomatic and consular relations to encourage the country's international trade, and to lead Canada's international development and humanitarian assistance.

The project’s ultimate outcome was to improve health (including maternal, new-born and child health) of boys, girls, women and men in Ghana’s Upper East Region.