The Municipality of Ashaiman and Safisana have agreed to join forces to enhance waste management and sanitation standards in the district.
On the 8th of June, Safisana had the honour to receive the Municipal Chief Executive of the Municipality of Ashaiman, Hon. Albert Boakye Okyere together with the Municipal Executive Committee at the Safisana recycling plant in Accra to talk about current and future collaboration.
Collaborating for Effective Waste Management
The goal of the visit was to update the municipality on our business's latest developments and future growth strategy. At the event, Safisana expressed its desire to significantly enhance the health and well-being of those who reside in dreadful conditions in non-sewered metropolitan areas, including the Municipality of Ashaiman where our current operations is located. Here, the existing lack of proper sanitation and waste treatment facilities continues to harm people's health.
During his encounter at the Safisana recycling plant, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Albert Boakye Okyere, expressed his interest in a continuation of the Assembly’s partnership with Safisana: “The Safisana recycling plant is an all-in-one, cost-effective solution for the sustainable management of faecal sludge, solid waste, and wastewater treatment. I must admit that Safisana makes waste management and sanitation affordable. Safisana, I could say, has evolved into the accepted waste resource solution in low- and middle-income nations. Our goal as an assembly is to collaborate with Safisana to guarantee waste treatment is effectively managed. This is fueled by the significant health concerns as well as the developing global climate, energy, and food crises."
“Our goal as an assembly is to collaborate with Safisana to guarantee waste treatment is effectively managed. This is fueled by the significant health concerns as well as the developing global climate, energy, and food crises.”
MUNICIPAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE (MCE) of Municipality of Ashaiman, HON. ALBERT BOAKYE OKYERE
Over 10 years of collaboration
Since the very start of our pilot project in 2012, Safisana has always been very grateful for the support received from the local authorities. The partnership between the Municipal Assembly and Safisana was acknowledged and first affirmed in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2012. A plot of land was provided by the municipality at Jericho community which allowed for the initial go-ahead of the Safisana pilot and the building of a first sanitation block, which eventually led to the development of the current waste-to-energy plant in the Municipality of Ashaiman.
Public Private Partnership
As a private party operating in the public domain of sanitation and waste management, we believe that a good relationship with the Municipality is key to the future of Safisana to ensure our impact mission to improve health and well-being for the community and the environment. After presenting our scaling plans for the midterm and long term, the MCE and the Assembly representatives were taken on a tour around the recycling plant, demonstrating the significant growth our operations has undergone over the last years. The site tour was followed up by a fruitful round table discussion on how to intensify collaboration moving forward. This has led to the agreement to set up a joint 7-member working group consisting of 4 from the Assembly and 3 from Safisana.
Attracting investors
The Board Chair of the Safisana Foundation Wanda van Engelen is very pleased with the outcome of the meeting. “In collaboration with the Municipal Assembly, we believe we can improve our service to the public, which enables us to further invest in technology that will increase capacity and impact further. In the coming weeks, AshMA and Safisana representatives will work on plans for collaboration that should improve impact and performance, resulting in a public-private partnership to be signed between both parties for the benefit of the people of Greater Accra.”
“By integrating faecal sludge, solid waste, and wastewater treatment into a single, cost-effective solution, Safisana has emerged as a game-changer for communities struggling with inadequate sanitation and waste facilities. Recognizing the potential of Safisana's innovative solution, the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly is keen to collaborate with the organization.”
spokesperson of the MUnicipality of Ashaiman
Sustainable impact
The Assembly's intention to collaborate with Safisana reflects its dedication to effectively addressing health concerns and contribute to global efforts in climate change mitigation, energy conservation, and sustainable food production. “By partnering with Safisana, the Assembly aims to enhance waste management practices and improve sanitation standards in the region. Together, Safisana and the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly can pave the way for a healthier, cleaner, and more sustainable future for the community and beyond.”
Safisana Board Chair Wanda van Engelen continues: “We are determined to continue our journey to improve sanitation waste recycling services and bring tailored solutions to other places in Ghana and abroad. Safisana increasingly receives interest from governments, investors and professionals in the WASH sector from around the globe. We are keen to deliver on our promises, the Safisana model works and makes a cost-effective solution for waste recycling, benefitting many people and the environment. Our team in Ashaiman is proud to be part of a showcase model that we could bring to other parts of the world, and I cannot wait to see where we stand in three years’ time with this team, our investors and our public partners in Ghana.”
For more information on the Municipality of Ashaiman: http://www.ashma.gov.gh
