“You must have a latrine
outside the camp, and go out to this; you must have a trowel in your equipment
and, when you squat outside, you must scrape a hole with it, then turn round
and cover up your excrement.“ (Det. 23:13-14 NJB)
It was not for fun that Moses in the above quote,
asked the Israelite to comply with the directive Yahweh passed on to them.
Perhaps it is with same sense of urgency that the Jasikan District is attaching
to its quest to end open defecation in the District.
The Environmental Health Unit (EHU) at the
commemoration of this year’s World Toilet Day, announced its readiness to
vigorously work to reduce the menace of open defecation in nine communities.
These communities include Jasikan, Bodada, Okadjakrom, Atonkor, Kudje, Akaa,
Guaman, Attakrom and Nsuta.
Performing the launch, Mr Samuel Agbeko Ahiaku, the
District Environment Health Officer, last Friday at the District Assembly Hall
at Jasikan, stated the commitment of the EHU to work closely with communities
and the District Assembly to construct 880 in-house latrines fitted with or
without biogas digesters.
With the prospect of the District Assembly procuring a
Cesspit Emptier and building a liquid waste treatment plant to treat liquid
waste, Mr. Ahiaku noted that his unit would liaise with the private sector to
also provide additional 11 backup 12 seater public latrines in the nine
communities targeted under the project.
Biogas technology
Biogas,
according experts refer to a mixture of different gases produced by the
breakdown of organic of matter in the absence of oxygen.
It
is usually produced from raw materials including agricultural waste, manure,
municipal waste, sewage, green waste or waste food among others.
Sources at the Ministry of Power and the Energy
Commission mentioned heat for cooking, lightening, space heating and fuel
engine for electricity generation as some benefits of biogas.
The Jasikan District also stands to benefit from
the treatment of organic waste generated as the biogas technology can destroy disease
carrying bacteria in the waste generated, which can be a rich source of organic
manure with higher nitrogen content.
With these prospects, the District Environment Health
Officer noted that the District would soon pilot the fixing of biogas digesters
at the Jasikan College of Education and in the Senior High and some Junior High
Schools in the District before replicating the technology to all households.
Motivation &
Objective
Mr. Agbeko noted that one of the reasons inspiring
this concerted effort is borne from the desire to make the District attain the
Open Defecation Free status by November 2018 and to ensure that everybody
including those in transit have access to basic toilet facilities.
Another reason is anchored on the move to improve the
general health of the people and to reduce the faeco-oral diseases in the
District. These desires are back by a strong appetite to win the next
Sanitation Challenge for Ghana Competition for seven District Assemblies; after
the Jasikan District won the Duapa Award for Excellence in Liquid Waste
Management Strategy with a cash prize of £ 30,000 in this year.
Background
With less than 14 per cent toilet coverage in 2010 in
the District, immediate steps were taken by the EHU and the District Assembly
to rehabilitate 12 latrines in and round Jasikan, Ayoma, Kute and Okadjakrom to
make them usable.
Consistent sensitisation engagement with communities
through the Community-Led Total Solution (CLTS) programme by the EHU in
collaboration with the SNV-Ghana Organisation since September 2014, has helped
in making 11 communities become Open Defecation Free (ODF) in the District.
So far, the EHU has disseminated the message of
stopping Open Defecation through 92 communities in the District, with a total
of 648 household latrines being constructed with hand washing facilities and
another 524 household latrine under construction.
World Toilet Day
With a growing concern to eradicate Open Defecation and
to promote the provision of decent toilet facilities, the international
community set aside November 19 as World Toilet Day to reflect on our
sanitation issues especially toilet issues.
Under the theme: “Stop Open Defecation, Own a Latrine
Today”, the Jasikan District observed the Day with the District Environmental
Health Officer, calling on stakeholders to work together to ensure the District
becomes Open Defecation Free and wins the Phase II of the Sanitation Challenge
for Ghana Competition.
He commended Kudje Labanta, Akaa Agyamase, Akaa
Quarters, Oppon-kura, Kadjakor, Oseikrom, Togbenyakope, Dzoku, Guaman Okue,
Zibo-Akura and Tsirikasa communities as well as the community volunteers for
helping them attain the Open Defecation Free status.
For attaining this status, the District Assembly will
present a certificate to the community leaders and erect billboards with the
inscription: “Welcome to …..Open Defecation Free Community. We Don’t Defecate in the
Open Here Always Use a Toilets.”
Prospects
Putting an end to open defecation in the District is
the business of everybody. This is because we cannot control the movement of
all house flies and other insects which randomly move about and perch on faecal
matter and spread faeco-oral diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid fever and
cholera. Therefore, we all have a great role to play to improve hygiene and
sanitary conditions in our homes, which could translate into clean healthy
environment that supports a healthy living for effective socio-economic activities.
Let us join hands to end open defecation in our society.
