World Vision Ghana engages faith-based leaders on redressing Community WASH challenges.
World Vision International (WVI) Ghana has organized a 4-day workshop on WASH in sermons for Christians and faith-based leaders in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo Region, to help communities redress WASH challenges. The 4-days training was categorized into two (2) zones namely, Kenyasi and Gambia. This was to increase the capacity of Christian leaders and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in redressing community WASH challenges.
The objective of the training was to empower preachers at the different levels of the communities to deliver biblical sermons that address WASH related issues and to encourage concrete behavior change actions that will lead to community transformation.
The Christian commitment coordinator for World Vision Ghana, Jacob Ayeebo stated in an interview, that for WASH programme to be successfully implemented in the District as planned, Faith-Based leaders must be empowered with the requisite knowledge and skills to use their power and influence to leverage for good water, sanitation and hygiene practices in the constituencies and communities they serve.
He observed that the stories and testimonies from participates show they are well equipped to harness and leverage the power, authority and influence of religious faith to encourage and promote good WASH practices in such a way as to empower communities to create sustainable conditions for improved human wellbeing.
Mr. Ayeebo who was also the facilitator of the workshop, further explained that being equipped with the requisite information will assist the beneficiaries advocate or demand regular accountability of water and sanitation management teams to communities; mobilize strong involvement of chiefs and other opinion leaders in WASH service delivery in the communities; and intentionally preaching WASH sermons in churches including children and youth services.
Participants at the training gained knowledge, awareness and skills that will assist them to advocate for good WASH practices and be exhorters of WASH who will provide prophetic voice and conscience to encourage and hold stakeholders accountable to their commitments to promote human wellbeing. They further indicated this in-service training will assist them to preach the importance of keeping the environment clean rather than resorting to “spiritual interventions” or “divine intervention when the negligence of environmental cleanliness visit epidemics on our communities as bubonic plague did.
Imam Samiullah of the Kenyasi No. 1 community said “environmental cleanliness and hygiene plays a crucial role in human health. This is why it is stated in the Qur’an, “cleanliness is next to godliness,” - the acquired knowledge will be put into practice to educate and encourage community members on environmental sustainability”
Participants applauded WVI Ghana and the District Assembly for organizing such workshop and requested such exercise be organized more often to advance their knowledge and skills on water and sanitation
