The Stronger Together project is achieving great results in the community of Ashaiman (Greater Accra). Since the launch of the collaboration in April, Safisana and Plan International Ghana have conducted several workshops for toilet operators, fecal-waste truck drivers, schoolchildren, and farmers on safe sanitation, personal hygiene, waste management/ recycling, and organic farming with a special focus on gender equality, social inclusion, and women empowerment. In this short interview, Linda Owusu Sekyere, Project Coordinator of the Stronger Together Project at Plan International Ghana, talks about the progress and impact made so far.
Which activities have been conducted under the ‘Stronger Together’ project so far?
"Our project is a community effort, therefore a lot of different stakeholders are involved. Many different participants represent various aspects of Ashaiman. For example, we have the market women, toilet operators, and farmers, but young people play an essential role in our project too. We have held different sessions with all these stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of good hygiene and sanitation practices. The project team initiated the community entry process with a one-on-one visitation to the main stakeholders. Our stakeholders - The Municipal Chief Executive, the Traditional Council, the farmers, and toilet- and truck operators in Ashaiman - were introduced to the project and got their buy-in.
"After the ‘Stronger Together’ kick-off in April this year, we proceeded with the start of project implementation activities. We held meetings with various communities in Ashaiman to educate them on safe sanitation. For instance, we visited the Michel Camp Farmers' Association, toilet- and truck operators, and the Fruit and Vegetables Market Association. We also visited Nurumustafis Islamic School and Presby Basic Schools to engage students on sanitation and hygiene.
"The sensitization meetings at both schools were educative but also fostered a great understanding and commitment among the students to uphold safe sanitation practices to protect not only each other but also their environment. Therefore, it was refreshing to see how young people are eager to learn more and camp up with innovative ideas."
Can you explain how the project promotes women's empowerment?
"We also hosted a community sensitization session with over 70 market women in Ashaiman. The session covered the benefits of ensuring safe sanitation, and segregation in markets. It’s important to engage about these topics as Ashaiman is a place where different activities happen simultaneously close to each other. Consequently, wastepiles become too close to fresh foods and might cause hazardous consequences. The workshop with the market women was guided by the Municipal Environmental Officer, who advocated for waste bins to manage their organic waste responsibly."
Has the ‘Stronger Together’ project already made some significant impact or noteworthy highlights?
“Because of the wide array of participants involved in the ‘Stronger Together’ project, we’ve got important stakeholders taking part. For instance, The Municipal Director of Education, Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Agriculture Extension Officer, and Municipal SHEP Coordinator provide useful information and direction towards a more sustainable environment.
The project is consistently educating and sensitizing communities on safe sanitation practices. Providing accessibility of useful information is relevant to the health and environmental safety of the community.”
Can you tell us anything about future planned activities for ‘Stronger Together’?
“In the short term, we have planned an engagement day with the Ghana WASH journalist network. The main objective is to strengthen the word about our project and its impact on the national community. We will host a three-day media training engagement workshop with journalists from different regions within Ghana. On the third day, over 20 journalists will visit Safisana to get an understanding of our Stronger Together project, Safisana’s work and impact.”
