By Erica Apeatua Addo
Ho (V/R), Oct 10, GNA-Mrs Vida Duti, Country Director, International Rescue Committee (IRC), has lauded the Ghana Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONIWAS) for the good work they are doing in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.
She also extolled the coalition for consistency in organizing the MOLE conference, which played a critical role in the promotion of the sector.
Mrs Duti reaffirmed IRC’s commitment to continue to provide the needed support to the coalition in driving the laudable agenda.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the ongoing MOLE XXXV conference organized by CONIWAS, with support from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, UNICEF and the GAMA/GKMA Sanitation and Water Project, among others, in Ho, Mrs Duti said IRC played a key role in complementing the government’s efforts in getting services to the hard-to-reach areas.
Also, she indicated that IRC Ghana classified water and sanitation as the gateway to justice and opportunity for people.
She explained “This truth powers our mission. We are an international non-profit organisation that prides itself on tackling root causes and delivering holistic solutions. “Piecemeal charity does not work. Our ambition stretches further, and our interventions run deeper. Nothing less than sustainable, safe services will do.”
Mrs Duti revealed that the IRC does not parachute in and out of countries, stressing that “we are mostly citizens of eight countries where we work: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, India, Mali, Niger, and Uganda.
IRC works directly with communities, experts, public servants, and decision-makers. We facilitate collective action with the government, water utilities, the private sector, NGOs, citizen groups and entrepreneurs, she added
“Regionally and around the world, we work with banks, donors and a range of institutions to support their effectiveness in delivering long-term solutions that last, not short-term projects that don’t.”
Mrs Duti said with over half a century of experience, “IRC knows that safe water and sanitation services can only be achieved through resilient systems networks of people, institutions, hardware, investment, and resources that deliver clean water to our taps that keep us safe.
She said it was through expertise in strengthening those systems that they could drive improvements.
“We champion our systems approach globally and build an alliance with wider leaders, experts, and activities to build a common cause across the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting water and sanitation as a gateway to tackle wider challenges and injustices” she stated
Meanwhile, Ms Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Minster of Sanitation and Water Resources, has opened a WASH sector stakeholder’s exhibition as part of the MOLE XXXV conference underway.
The exhibition sought to offer stakeholders, including organizations, resource centres, service providers, and manufacturers, the opportunity to exhibit their products and engage participants during the conference.
Ms Alhassan charged all sector players to work closely and collaborate to ensure maximizing their collective and individual powers.
Stakeholders who have mounted an exhibition booth include the GAMA/GKMA Sanitation and Water Project, World Vision Ghana, CONIWAS, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, WaterAid, Plan International Ghana, Bio-Digester Construction Centre, Catholic Relief Services and Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited.
Ms Beata Awinpoka Akanyani, CONIWAS Chairperson, on her part, told the GNA that as the global community intensified its effort to meet the (SDGs), there was a growing recognition of the vital importance of WASH.
She said at the heart of this push was the MOLE WASH conference, an annual gathering that brings together WASH practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders from across the globe to share insights and innovations and chart the course forward for the sector.
The 2024 MOLE XXXV WASH Conference hitting its 35th anniversary this year started on October 6th and is expected to end on October 11th, 2024.
The conference is on the general theme: “Looking Back on SDG six Implementation in Ghana: Progress, Challenges, and Ways Forward”, and the four thematic subjects are institutional alignments and policies, approaches, strategies, and methods towards attainment of Sustainable Development Goal six (SDG6) in Ghana.
GNA