Atwima nwabiagya: Mr. Wisdom Osei Boamah, the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has urged teachers to prioritize sanitation education in schools to help inculcate good hygiene practices in children. He emphasized that many insanitary conditions stem from human behavior and attitudes, highlighting the importance of starting sanitation education at the early stages of a child's development to positively influence their mindset and habits.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Boamah addressed teachers from seven beneficiary Basic Schools that had received modern water and sanitation facilities in the municipality. He identified practices such as dumping refuse in gutters and water bodies, as well as maintaining unclean school environments, as deliberate actions contributing to poor sanitation. The MCE encouraged teachers to intensify efforts in teaching proper sanitation practices to ensure that children adopt them as a way of life.
Mr. Boamah stated, "Children are future leaders, and it is important that we equip them with the right values, including good sanitation habits, at an early age." The beneficiary schools include Nkawie Kufuor M/A Basic School, St Justin's Anglican Basic 'B', Experimental Basic 'A', Toase R/C Basic School, Sepaase Basic School, Nerebehi Basic School, and Abuakwa M/A Basic School 'A'.
The facilities provided comprise 14-seater water closet toilet systems with washrooms and mechanized boreholes for both boys and girls. The project, funded by the Municipal Assembly in collaboration with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), an international non-governmental organization, was executed at a total cost of GHS31,500. It is part of a five-year program (2025-2029) aimed at providing water and sanitation facilities to 54 communities in the municipality, with the initial seven communities serving as pilot areas.
Mr. Boamah commended teachers, traditional authorities, community members, and the implementing organization for their cooperation and support toward the project's successful execution. He noted that additional items supplied to the schools included sanitary pads, liquid soap, hand sanitizers, kettles, and bars of soap to promote hygiene.
Mr. Samuel Owusu Adjei, the Project Manager of WSUP, reaffirmed the organization's commitment to expanding access to water and sanitation facilities across the targeted communities and institutions within the project period. He called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to ensure effective utilization and maintenance of the facilities.
Mr. Richard Appau, the Headteacher of St Justin's Anglican Primary 'B' at Nkawie, expressed gratitude to the Municipal Assembly and the NGO for the intervention. He mentioned that the lack of adequate sanitation facilities had been a major challenge for the school, aside from security concerns, which were being addressed by parents and the school's authorities.