Plan International Ghana (PIGHA) has launched the second phase of a project aimed at increasing access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, especially for vulnerable groups such as girls and women.
The project, known as the Integrated Package for Sustainable Community Development (IPADEV) Phase II, is expected to benefit 14,766 people from 16 project communities and 18 schools in the Guan and Wa East districts in the Oti and Upper West regions, respectively, by March 2028.
The project was launched in Accra on the theme: “Building resilient and protective environments for every child’s health and learning outcomes through Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programming”.
The IPADEV Project Manager, William Domapielle, who gave an overview of the project, explained that under the project, mechanised solar-powered boreholes would be drilled to provide a reliable water supply to beneficiary communities and 18 institutional girl-friendly toilets for schools.
“We will also establish a spare parts bank to ensure the sustainability of water facilities.
We realised that most of the communities have broken down boreholes which have been left unattended because they do not know what is wrong with the boreholes or who to contact to repair them,” he noted.
He also stated that the project would provide livelihood opportunities for economic empowerment for women in project communities.
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The acting Country Director, Frederick Tei-Nobi, who officially launched the project, noted that access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services was not only a health issue but was a matter of dignity, equality and empowerment.
He indicated that in a 2023 report by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, only 25 per cent of Ghanaians had access to basic sanitation.
“Approximately 56 per cent relied on shared latrines, one per cent used unimproved facilities, and 18 per cent practised open defecation.
Additionally, three out of four households were at risk of consuming contaminated water, largely due to poor sanitation and hygiene practices.
Nearly 90 per cent of those practising open defecation come from the poorest households,” he pointed out.
Mr Tei-Nobi said when WASH facilities are inadequate, it is the girls and women who bear the greatest burden and said PIGHA’s work focused on increasing equitable access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation and sustainable hygiene practices, with particular attention on children, adolescent girls and vulnerable populations.
Mr Tei-Nobi explained that over the past three years, PIGHA had made significant progress implementing the first phase of the IPADEV Project in the Jasikan and West Mamprusi municipalities.
He noted that the second phase, which would run for 32 months, will prioritise schools by providing basic WASH facilities and services that enhance learning outcomes, particularly for adolescent girls.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh