World Vision Ghana has organized a 4 - day training workshop for Citizens Voice and Action(CVA) groups in the Asutifi North District, Ahafo Region, to help communities have improved water and sanitation from authorities.
The training workshop as part of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme which is been rolled out in the District to achieve Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 6 was held in the capital, Kenyasi.
In an interview with the National Coordinator for Local Level Advocacy for World Vision Ghana, Richard Ananga, for WASH programme to be successfully implemented in the District as planned, communities must be empowered with its information which consists of policies and standards.
According to Richard Ananga who facilitated the training workshop, once the people are abreast with the policies and standards it will help them do critical assessment of their water facilities(boreholes) to know if what they have been provided by duty bearers are in line with the said policies and standards.
He explained that having adequate knowledge of the policies and standards when it comes to water and sanitation matters will assist communities to clearly indicate their challenges and channel them to the appropriate quarters for improvement.
In addition, he revealed that what World Vision Ghana intend doing is to position communities to demand what is due them from duty bearers with documented evidence because the policies and standards of the WASH programme are now clearly known to them per the training workshop.
"Henceforth communities must use evidence and dialogue to get standard facilities " Richard Ananga stated.
He sighted an example that there is a policy which entreats community to have access to portable water so if a certain community can not boost of one, the people have the right to engage authorities. Another policy says 30 people are entitled to a borehole so if it is not happening, residents can demand for additional ones.
The Facilitator further said the exercise has disclosed to participants that in order to have portable water and good sanitation as WASH programme demands they have a role to play of which one is to empower them with the policies and standards.
Some of the participants thanked World Vision Ghana and the Asutifi North District Assembly for such workshop to build their capacity under the WASH initiative. According to them, a lot have been pumped into their brains to help have improved water and sanitation issues.
They appealed to World Vision Ghana and the Assembly to mount such exercise more often to upgrade their knowledge on water and sanitation.
