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Efforts at improving sanitation and education in rural communities in Ghana received a major boost, following Plan International Ghana’s interventions across 16 communities in the Jasikan Municipality of the Oti Region and the West Mamprusi Municipality in the North East Region.
Through its Integrated Package for Sustainable Development (I-PADEV) project, the organisation has tackled long-standing issues of poor sanitation, lack of potable water, and low school enrolment, significantly transforming lives in the beneficiary communities.
As a result of these interventions, 16 communities have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). In the Jasikan Municipality, these include Asele, Lekanti, Nanankor, Udey, Atwereboana, Atonkor, Akaa, Koensim, Ketsi Nkwanta, and Dzoku. In the West Mamprusi Municipality, the ODF communities are Boayini 1 and 2, Kpabugu, Zanguga, and Sagadugu 1 and 2.
Speaking to journalists on Friday at Koensim, the headmaster of Koensim M/A Primary and Junior High School, Mr Benoni Nyasorgbor, disclosed that before the intervention, the school lacked proper sanitation facilities, forcing students to relieve themselves in nearby bushes.
This, he said, posed significant health risks, particularly for girls, who frequently missed school due to the absence of changing rooms during menstruation.
Another major challenge he mentioned was access to clean water. Students had to walk long distances to fetch water from a stream, leading to exhaustion and lateness.
To address these issues, he stated that Plan International Ghana constructed gender-friendly latrines with separate sections for boys and girls, as well as a dedicated changing room for menstruating students. The organisation also provided a borehole to supply potable water to the school and the wider community, significantly improving hygiene and reducing absenteeism.
“With these improvements, school enrollment has surged from 79 to 224 students in just two years,” Mr Nyasorgbor stated.
“Beyond sanitation and water access, Plan International Ghana has also provided essential learning materials to support teachers and students,” he added.
“With the introduction of the new curriculum, we lacked textbooks. Teachers had to travel to town to download materials due to poor network access. Thanks to Plan International Ghana, we now have textbooks, making teaching and learning much easier,” he stated.
These interventions, he indicated, have contributed to improved academic performance. The school’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) pass rate has increased from 70 per cent in 2023 to 90 per cent in 2024.
After a field visit to beneficiary communities, WASH Specialist and Manager of the IPADEV project, Mr William Domapielle, highlighted the organisation’s efforts to improve Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) conditions across 20 communities in Jasikan Municipality and Northern Ghana.
Using a Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach, he explained that the project encourages households to build and use latrines. Additionally, high-yielding boreholes have been mechanised to supply water to multiple locations, including schools, reducing the burden on women and children.
“The project also promotes gender equity by engaging male heads of households to share unpaid care work, allowing women greater participation in community activities and decision-making,” he explained.
With the three-year IPADEV project set to conclude in January 2026, Mr Domapielle urged the government to increase investments in WASH infrastructure to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on clean water and sanitation by 2030.
