Anti-open defecation story writing begins

The first ever competition to find the best story writers on anti-open defecation among primary and junior high school (JHS) pupils throughout the country has been launched in Ho. 

The competition, an initiative of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, is being sponsored by UNICEF, the Government of Canada and the Ghana-Netherlands WASH programme to address sanitation issues.

According to a press statement released during the launch, a research conducted by the Demographic and Health Survey in 2014 showed that 21 per cent of Ghanaians did not have access to toilet facilities and, therefore, defecated in bushes.

It said children were vulnerable to the consequences of open defecation as 3,600 under five years reportedly die in Ghana every year of diarrhoea, according to the World Health Organisation.

The competition, the statement explained was therefore, aimed at sensitising children and increasing awareness on health dangers resulting from open defecation; And also to encourage them to be ambassadors of anti-open defecation.

The overall message is for every household to own a toilet. The competition which began on October 1 will end on October 30.

Schoolchildren from Class One to JHS Three are expected to present their stories for selection, out of which the best 10 would receive prizes such as bicycles, school bags, story books and stationery.

At the launch, school pupils who represented eight selected schools in the Ho Municipality were educated on some of the dangers of open defecation.

The Ho Municipal Education Director, Mr Maxwell Gbakah stated that many diseases including cholera, typhoid, malaria, diarrhoea are the results of open defecation.

According to him, the pupils must be ambassadors of change and help in the education against open-defecation.