By Benjamin Mensah, GNA
Accra, Sept. 23, GNA – Miss Nabeeha Sulemana Atiah, a pupil of the Elmina Methodist Junior High School (JHS), in Elmina, in the Central Region, has been declared and crowned the 2006-2027 Child Sanitation Diplomat.
She beat three other finalists at a quiz at the National Theatre in Accra, moderated by Radio Quizmaster Dan Afari Yehoah, to climax the Seventh Sanitation Solutions (Triple S) Challenge.
And when she was announced as the winner, her schoolmates, teachers and relatives went agog, singing, dancing and applauding the laureate for successfully going through all the stages of the competition, organised by the Christian and child focused humanitarian organisation World Vision Ghana (WVG) and some of its partners for schoolchildren to co-create sustainable solutions to sanitation problems.
For her prize, Nabeeha was decorated with sash, and received a laptop, a plaque, a cash prize, and other souvenirs.
She will also be supported to implement a one-year project on environmental sanitation.
The runners up were Candi Dasanah Mwini-Maloo of Star of God Roman Catholic Junior High School, Wa; Nyarko Nhyira Dede of the Saint Anthony Roman Catholic JHS, Nkawkaw; and Afua Agyeibea Arko of Bethany Methodist Basic School, Accra.
They also received prizes for plaques, cash prizes, and other souvenirs.
In an address, Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs commended the organisers for sustaining the competition for the past seven years, saying it was more than a competition, but an investment in the values, knowledge and leadership that would shape the nation’s future.
She linked the theme of the event “Reawakening the Nation’s Conscience-Raising a New Sanitation Conscious Generation” the government’s Reset Agenda, in keeping a clean Ghana.
Madam Odoley Sowah noted that there was already much knowledge about sanitation, but the challenge, now is “acting consistently for what we know is right,” “turning awareness into responsibility and responsibility into action.”
Madam Odoley Sowah, who is also the Member Parliament of La Dadekotopon, stressed the need for the availability of sanitation facilities in the home and the school as well collaborative efforts involving teachers, parents, the local and traditional authorities and religious leaders in tackling sanitation issues.
She advised schoolchildren: “You are not too young to make a difference… Keep your school clean and protect your environment. Inspire someone else to do the right thing … A sanitation conscious Ghana begins with children.”
The Ministry of Education said 25 per cent of public Basic Schools in Ghana (over 5,500 public Basic Schools) lack access to safe drinking water, while 26 per cent of public Basic Schools have no toilet facilities.
In view of this, more than 1.5 million children in public schools and 314,000 private Basic Schools are affected by the lack of decent toilets while in school.
Also, almost 18 per cent of Ghana’s population practices Open Defecation, while only 25.3 of the population has access to improved toilet facilities.
Madam Odoley Sowah urged school children to speak up when their school has no toilet, changing rooms for girls and question adults who throw litter about.
Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, emphasised on the need for a clean environment in promoting tourism.
She said it was necessary to preserve the green environment and charged Ghanaian adults to show children, by example, practices to protect and keep the environment clean.
The Minister urged Christian and other religious leaders to use the pulpit and other religious platforms to create more awareness on environmental sanitation.
In a speech read for him, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister for Work and Housing and Water Resources, described sanitation as a public good, and invited all stakeholders to join hands improving sanitation.
He gave assurance that the Ministry remained open to children’s proposals that would lead to policy development.
The grand finale of the Seventh Triple S Challenge was preceded by the Fifth Children Sanitation Festival 2026, an innovative platform which was used by the children to send out messages through exhibition, drama, sketches, music, poetry, storytelling and choreography.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Benjamin Mensah
Email: [email protected]