Rotary presents motorbikes to 6 assemblies to support water and sanitation activities
Rotary International (RI) has handed over 12 Honda motorbikes to six municipal and district assemblies in Ghana to facilitate the efficient and effective monitoring of water and sanitation-related issues in the beneficiary assemblies.
The Kwaebibrem Municipal and Upper Denkyira East Municipal assemblies, the Ayensuano, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, Amenfi Central and Shai Osudoku district assemblies were allocated two motorbikes each (valued at GH¢151,440) for the efficient and effective administration of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes in their jurisdiction.
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The project was funded through a Rotary Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development Partnership (USAID) under the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Health project.
Since 2009, Rotary International and USAID, through its WASH for Health programme, have been working with 180 communities, schools and clinics in 14 districts across seven regions of Ghana to improve water, sanitation and hygiene conditions for more than 191,700 people.
The overall goal of the project is to accelerate sustainable improvement in water and sanitation access and improve hygiene behaviour in the targeted communities under the project.
Presentation
Speaking at the presentation ceremony at the Rotary Centre in Tema last Thursday, the Chairman of the Host Committee of RI-USAID Water and Sanitation project, Ako Odotei, admonished the beneficiary assemblies to use the logistics to manage the various water systems installed in the project areas and to work hard to ensure that the water systems did not break down, stressing that sustainability was of great importance to Rotary.
He noted that water and sanitation was an important area for both Rotary and USAID, pointing out that the partnership between the two organisations, which started as far back as 2009 and would come to an end in March this year, had gone a long way to help the people in the beneficiary communities against water-borne diseases.
Mr Odotei explained that the six assemblies out of the 14 municipalities and districts under the project were selected based on a sustainability study, which showed RI and USAID that they were more receptive to the programme.
Appreciation
The District Chief Executive for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, one of the beneficiary districts, Ransford Kwesi Nyarko, commended Rotary International and USAID for the gesture.
He said the various water systems installed by the two organisations had contributed to improved health in the community and helped lessen the stress people in a number of communities in his district had to endure to access potable water.
Mr Nyarko said water and sanitation was at the very core of sustainable development and critical to the survival of people and the planet, so the intervention by the two organisations had helped improve access to many people in communities, schools and improved healthcare.
He said his assembly would work with the District Environmental Health and Management Unit to ensure that the logistics which had been graciously given to them did not deteriorate and that Rotary International and USAID would come back in the next five or 10 years and see that money for the project was well spent.