By Godfred A. Polkuu
Tono (U/E), July 20, GNA – The Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) has called for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities for the Saint John’s Integrated Senior High Technical School in the Upper East Region.
The second cycle institution, located at Tono in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Region, is a special Senior High Technical School made of both hearing impaired and non-hearing impaired students.
The school has poor sanitary conditions, dilapidated lavatories with cracked and broken walls and floors at both the male and female dormitories, and the only functioning four-seater Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit (KVIP) latrine with three-drop holes, serves the entire 808 student population.
The poor WASH situation of the school compels students to bath in the open, and also resort to open defecation in bushes with reported cases of snake bites, scorpion stings and rape.
Madam Beata Awinpoka Akanyani, the Chairperson of CONIWAS, who called for the support in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), after her visit to the school, said, “Saint John’s Integrated Senior High Technical School really needs WASH services.
“They need WASH infrastructure. We appeal to benevolent organizations and all those who matter within the WASH sector. Even if you are not a CONIWAS member, please get involved. If sanitation is not in the school, it will affect their learning,” she said.
The Chairperson, who inspected the WASH facilities on the campus with some members of CONIWAS, including officials from the Water and Sanitation for Development (WASADEV) Ghana, and ProNet-North, noted that the visit was part of activities to climax the third Ghana WASH week.
It was on the theme: “WASH and its impact on social development.”
Madam Akanyani interacted with the students and observed that the toilet facilities in the school were inadequate.
“I was not surprised to hear from the students and staff that they practiced open defecation, and in Ghana we are trying to curb open defecation.”
The Chairperson, who is also the Programmes Director of the Afram Plains Development Organization (APDO), at the Northern Programmes Office in Tamale, further expressed concern about the reported rape cases.
“Unfortunately, these are hearing impaired students that were raped. I am happy the Law Court is addressing it. This is just access to toilet which has led students to practice open defecation and they are raped,” she said.
Madam Akanyani expressed gratitude to members of CONIWAS and urged them to continue to contribute to the development of the country, noting that government could not do it alone without the support of NGOs.
Madam Ernestina Pwadura, the Assistant Headmistress of the School in charge of Administration, reiterated the call for support for the school, saying “We actually need support. We are trying to integrate the hearing impaired into society and bring them up in an environment that is fit for purpose.”
Mr Joseph Adongo, the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, who joined leadership of CONIWAS on the visit, said despite the numerous challenges of the school, the students continued to persevere to achieve their aim in the school.
He said the Municipal Assembly would continue to assist the school in anyway possible to make their stay on campus comfortable, and expressed the Assembly’s readiness to collaborate with CONIWAS to resolve the sanitary conditions in the school.
GNA