Accra, Oct 26, GNA – The HATOF Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, in partnership with Lancaster University has commenced the Actuate project in the La-Nkwantanang Madina Manucipality in Accra, to turn waste into valuable resources.
The ACTUATE project, also known as the “Accelerating the Adoption of Circular Sanitation Demonstration System for Improved Health Outcomes,” is a community-based pilot demonstration of bioenergy systems.
The Project is also expected to generate electricity, sustainable fertilizer and sanitation improvement through the development of anaerobic digestion demonstrator systems in community schools.
The three-year project would be implemented together with scientists at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Green Advocacy and Umar Bun Hatab Islamic Basic School, under a grant from the Global Challenges Research Fund through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
At the community engagement, Mr Samuel Dotse, Executive Director, HATOF Foundation, explained that the ACTUATE project would support an accelerated uptake of a safe circular water economy connecting waste, human health and energy, food and soil security.
He said local schools, communities, universities and NGOs would be educated on the health and environmental benefits of a circular economy, as well as work with local businesses, investors and entrepreneurs to support the commercialisation and expansion of the technology.
Mr Imoro Suleiman, Head Teacher of Umar Bun Hatab Islamic Basic School, where the first demonstrator was going to be set up, expressed his joy over the selection of his school for the pilot project.
He said the students of the school had already been briefed on the project in the early part of the year, while a weather station had also been established on the school campus, adding that they were very much ready for the project.
He said under the project, the students would be trained on how to segregate waste, which would then be stored and then put in a digester to be turned into energy.
Mr Suleiman said class six and form one students would be participating in the pilot project, adding that the community members had pledged to provide leadership and security to ensure its sustainability.
Dr Richard Bayitse, a Senior Research Scientist at the CSIR, explained that the pilot project was expected to end in December 2021.
He said HATOF and Green Advocacy would be educating the community on the sanitation and waste aspect of the project, while the CSIR would work on the research aspect.
“The project is a demonstrator so the success of this project will give us the opportunity to upscale or implement it in other communities. So that it would benefit everybody,” Dr Bayitse said.
GNA