The Northern and Eastern Regions have qualified for the grand finale of the World Vision Ghana (WVG) School Sanitation Solution Challenge.
The regions would be represented at the contest by Master Faraj Timtooni Abdul Yezid, a pupil of the Tamale-based Grace Holy Child Academy and Miss Christiana Sefakor Sedenkor of the Koforidua Presby ‘E’ Basic School.
The finalists were crowned as the winners of Shea and Cocoa Zones at the first semi-final of the ‘Master Encounter- Northern Sector School Sanitation Solutions Challenge (Triple S),’ 2024 held at Abesim near Sunyani.
They would compete with two others, who would be selected to represent the southern sector in the grand finale of the challenge, slated for Monday, September 23, 2024, at the National Theatre in Accra, as part of the Children Sanitation Fair.
The WVG, a non-governmental organisation in partnership with the Kings Hall Media Limited, the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and Zoomlion Foundation i
s organising the challenge, which seeks to encourage children to cultivate interest in issues of environmental sanitation.
This is to further motivate the children to become sanitation conscious and agents of change, building their capacity to co-create sustainable solutions to sanitation challenges around them, empowering them to influence policies, advocate the removal of barriers and promote improved access to basic education in the country.
Yezid and Sedenkor were among 10 contestants, between the ages of 12 and 14 and selected from the Cocoa and Shea Zones of the Northern sector of the country and the pupils received a certificate of participation and an undisclosed sum of money each.
At the closing session of the programme, Mr Yaw Attah Arhin, the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Technical Coordinator, WVG, said the challenge was in response to the limited involvement of children in co-creating sustainable solutions in WASH services delivery in the country.
Prior to the Challenge WVG and Kin
gs Hall Media had implemented other competitions, including the Open Defecation Free Cartoon Contest in partnership with Junior Graphic, he stated.
He said while the lack of access to toilet facilities in schools was regrettable, it was equally worrying that many of the available toilet facilities in schools did not have changing rooms for girls.
‘This does not make the schools’ environment conducive or friendly to the girl child, particularly those who have reached the age of puberty,’ Mr Arhin stated, saying ‘As an organisation whose vision for every child is life in all its fullness, we believe that nothing can be more important to child wellbeing than access to safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene’.
He explained that was why the WVG had prioritised and promoted access to sustainable WASH services in communities, households, schools and healthcare facilities.
‘We believe that there is a lot more government, development partners and all of us can do to ensure that everybody everywhere has sustain
able access to improved sanitation,’ Mr Arhin stated and pledged the WVG’s commitment to partner with the MSWR, development partners and all relevant stakeholders in the fight against poor sanitation and sustainable access to improved basic sanitation in the country.
Later in an interview, the two finalists expressed their heartfelt appreciation to the WGV and their partners as well as their teachers and coaches and promised to give up their best and win the grand finale of the challenge.
Source: Ghana News Agency
