Campaign To Create Awareness On Water Health And Sanitation Launched

A programme, Ghana Drink Safety Water to create public awareness on water harvesting, processing, storage and use to avoid wastage and pollution has been launched Saturday at the Lower Manya Municipality of the Eastern region.

Present at the launch which took place at the Assembly’s hall were Mr. Daniel Alimo, founder of wondrous love foundation, Mrs. Elizabeth Addo an educationists, Mr. Paul Bradi as well as some assembly members and the media.

Mr. Krobea Asante Tofepa Ntomentwene, Operations Manager for Kingdom 1st Limited and coordinator for the programme dubbed “Ghana Drink Safety Water” in a welcome address reiterated that, many sources of water to communities in the rural and urban places is a worry due to its contaminants which mostly are animal and human waste including faeces.

This he said was reason for the theme, Ghana Drink Safety Water, “achieving SDG goal 6, the need for awareness creation at community level”

He said that, even though the sustainable development goals, SDG’s places much priority on planets, people, environment, peace and social inclusion, many governments and heads of states have done very little in terms of proving quality water for the people.

To this regard, he says community action is needed to create awareness on the need to protect and use water efficiently and resourcefully, adding that many women today are poor due to the productive hours exchanged in search for water in order to be able to perform household chores such as cooking, washing, drinking as well as for industrial purposes.

Mr. Daniel Alimoh who chaired the event and officially launched the program expressed his utmost pleasure for the project saying that, many today are drinking poison and not water due to diseases causing organisms such as bacteria, fungus and virus present in our water bodies due to unhealthy human activities such as galamsey and waste disposition.

He also said that lack of an intrinsic drive by individuals to be water sensitive and failure by supposed institutions to safeguard our water bodies is a threat to national population health.

He has therefore appealed for total support from assembly members, chiefs, churches, associations and youth groups to embrace the concept of institutionalising community coalitions for water health and sanitation.

“The idea is so brilliant and I am touched to lead the crusade too and hope that it will not just be for Lower Manya but all the people of Ghana, Mr. Alimoh said.

He charged all present to act there forth within their communities as ambassadors of ” water for life”.

Mrs. Elizabeth Addo, addressing the chairman thanked Mr. Alimo, coordinator and ambassadors as well the Municipal Chief Executive of Lower Manya, Mr. Simon Tettey for his acceptance of the project to begin in his area since the many people of Lower Manya and Krobo enclaves rely on polluted or unsafe water for their livelihood, and we cannot sit unconcerned about such things since we all know its resultant effect which leads to epidemics or deaths especially amongst children.

A social commentator and a representative from the office of the Member of Parliament, Mr. Paul Bradi during an open discussion said that, it was prudent for ambassadors to holistically tackle the water challenge importantly as any other social issue.

He urged that an approach that is possible to realise the objectives of water safety, availability and security must be adopted by all stakeholders.

“In fact, if it is water safety, then its availability cannot be undermined since people just don’t drink bad water because they want to, but they drink because there aren’t options for good ones”. Mr. Bradi added.

He encouraged that, all ambassadors and stakeholders to periodically meet through such forums in order to equip the Assemblies and its citizens with much information about their water health and sanitation.

An Editor at rite FM in Somanya, Mr. Michael Oberteye also opined that community involvement, participation in decision making and matters of water dialogue called for much resources and commitments.

In a development, MCE for Lower Manya, Mr. Simon Tettey said that, he was very much happy of the programme to start in his municipality since information from ambassadors and the citizens, will help in taking the right decisions and water health choices.

He promised to open his doors to ambassadors, and urged them to work hard to cause real change in communities in order to have a healthy people who can always be strong to work for national development.

Mrs. Dora Animwah, a fashion designer said, the ordeal women go through during the dry season is so irritating, since precious time needed to work for money is wasted roaming in search of water for cooking, washing and drinking.

She called for the programme to include water harvesting and storage technology for future use, since it was the only sure way to solve problems women face with water.

Participants and ambassadors expressed gratitude for the programme, and promised to work with all relevant stakeholders in their communities.

Mr. Krobea Asante, coordinator for the project, congratulated participants for their inputs and urged the media to use their medium to educate the general public constantly on the need for water health and sanitation.

“We did well in the fight against galamsey and I believe this is not above us, because it begins right from our homes with families and friends”, Mr. Krobea Asante therefore pleaded with stakeholders, especially Assemblies to address water related challenges at community levels through constant engagements and awareness creation.
“Agenda 2030 and its 17 goals with 163 components cannot be achieved to bring the future we want into full realms, in the absence of sustainable water for all and this must at all times be a national agenda” he added and called on benevolent people to support with training materials such as projectors for community education in centres, schools and churches.

These material support, human resources and funding is solely community resources mobilisation and international organisations who share our vision are pleaded to help us create water water sensitive cities and communities, Mr. Krobea Asante Tofepa affirmed.

He mentioned that, proposals have been made to Kingdom 1st Limited who have promised to support help combat bad water bacteria, fungus and bacteria that promote diseases by introduction of Silverzap hydrosol from Sweden to communities in Ghana as it is recommended by the World Health Organization and Food and Drugs Board.