Accra, Sept.30, GNA – Mr Gregory Andrews, the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, on Thursday, commissioned and handed over sanitation facilities to the Anani Memorial School to improve the hygiene condition in the school.
The facilities included a toilet facility and accessories such as a water tank, waste bins and hand washing stations.
The project, funded by the Australian Aid, was spearheaded by the Professional Network Association ProNet, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).
The High Commissioner said Australia was committed to improving sanitation and health condition for people living in vulnerable situations in Ghana and across West Africa.
”These outcomes are the difference that access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities can provide, and that is what Australia’s Direct Aid Programme is all about,” he said.
Mr Andrews stated that the project had aided pupils and teachers in the school to have access to potable water and sanitation as well as enhancing their learning condition.
“Hand washing facilities are more important than ever due to the COVID -19 pandemic and we are pleased that these facilities will help improve hand-washing practices and minimize the spread of the disease,” he said.
The Commissioner commended the staff and students of the school, saying a recent UNICEF study showed that 900 million children across the world lacked soap and water in in their schools or environment and therefore was pleased that the project had excluded the school from the statistics.
Mr Emmanuel Adisenu, Programmes Coordinator for ProNet, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), said the outfit had the interest of ensuring good water and sanitation and was pleased to establish the project.
“Our aim is to have a sustainable positive impact on communities in the area of health, gender and livelihoods, decentralization, inclusion, girls’ education, climate, energy and food,” he said.
Mr Kofi Anani, Principal of the school commended the Commissioner for his immense contributions towards the school and appealed for more support to help the development of the school.
The Anani Memorial School is a small school of about 185 pupils in Nima, a slum in Accra. In 2019, Teresa Barnes and her colleague Australian volunteer taught music lessons at the school where they became aware of the infrastructure needs of the school and requested for support.
GNA