By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, June 2, GNA – Staff of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), as part of their 2024 Community Day, have spent time with the pupils and teachers of the Kanvilli R/C School in Tamale to build a kid friendly latrine, provide a 3,000-liter water tank, six gallons of liquid soap and tools for maintaining a clean environment.
They also leveled the school’s playground and installed tippy taps, using the opportunity to sensitise the pupils, teachers and parents on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and social cohesion.
On Community Day each year, the men and women of CRS, an international humanitarian NGO, step out into the communities where their offices are located and in the spirit of volunteerism contribute to improving the wellbeing of the community.
Mr Festus Fofie, Director, WASH Programme, CRS, who spoke about the essence of the CRS’ Community Day in an interaction with the press at the school, said it was “For us to live our values, as staff of CRS, and by our values; our values of bringing transformational change, enhancing human dignity and protecting the poor and vulnerable in the world.”
Mr Fofie said by enhancing the WASH status of the school, “We are ensuring that at a very young age, the children are practising proper hand washing, which they will carry with them throughout their lives.”
He urged school authorities “To put in every measure they can to ensure the proper operation and maintenance of the toilet facility we are building for them so that we don’t come back a year or two afterwards and the toilet is no longer in use.”
He also urged teachers to continue to dedicate “Their time, their skills and their knowledge to teaching the children because the children are the future of the country, the future of the world, and we have to build them up to become very responsible and very impactful leaders for us in the country.”
Madam Alice Memuna Kanjoriba, Assistant Headmistress in-charge of Kindergarten, Kanvili R/C School Complex, described the gesture as a great relief to the school, saying the lack of, especially toilet facility at the school, was a source of worry to school authorities.
She said, “We are actually yearning for this. The latrine will bring a great change because they are young children. They walk from here to the other side to free themselves. Some come back. Some don’t even come. So, it’s a great relief. They will no longer go out to free themselves. The playground is safe for them now. When they play, they learn.”
Meanwhile, the Accra office team of CRS also marked the CRS’ Community Day at the Accra Weija Leprosarium by donating food items to the facility, among other activities.
GNA