A team from Latter-Day Saints Charities (LDSC), a partner of ANAM Initiative on Thursday, February 9th visited Asutifi North district to interact with officials of the district administration.
Accompanied by officials of IRC, World Vision, Ghana Education Service (GES), and ANAM WASH Desk, the team also visited and interacted with LDSC grant beneficiary communities and schools.
Senior Manager for the charities, Mark Hirschi in expressing joy after the tour said, “It’s a great opportunity to be here and see the work that has benefitted so many people and see the reaction,
and how it has really improved their lives”.
“But also, there is still more work to do. As much work as we have done, there is always more we can do to help these wonderful people”, he added.
A JHS 3 pupil of Wamahinso D/A Basic School, Francisca Owusuwaa explained, “we used to go back home to change when our menses come during school periods. Sometimes we are unable to come back. We no longer go back home since they constructed this facility. When it comes, we
inform our teachers and go there to change. We are relieved, thank you”.
At Ama Agyemang, an eighty-six (86) year old farmer and beneficiary of household latrine, Opanin Kwame Osei expressing gratitude to LDSC said, “you have done for me what no one has ever done for me and I am grateful. May God bless you so can continually provide for others”.
Amongst projects undertaken with the LDSC grant includes handpump boreholes for 3 schools, limited mechanised Schemes for 2 schools, institutional latrines with changing rooms for girls in 5
schools, provision of handwashing stations, and formation and training of Water and Sanitation Management Teams (WSMTs) in all schools.
In five (5) hard-to-reach communities, hand-pump boreholes with concrete pads have been provided, household toilets for 60 vulnerable and poor households as well as the formation and training WSMTs to oversee the operation and maintenance of WASH facilities.
Over 60 district staff have been trained on the Public Financial Management Act, rural sanitation and water policies, laws and guidelines, and the integrated water resource management plan of the Tano basin to enable them to exercise their service authority oversight over service providers.
Also, draft district WASH masterplans for three new districts has been developed.