A five-day CLTS programme for chosen Asutifi North District Assembly staff members and local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) was concluded by IRC Ghana on Friday, November 25.
The first comprehensive assessment of progress, which was recorded in the ANAM Midterm Review of the WASH Master Plan in 2020, demonstrated the District Assembly’s strong leadership and partners’ dedication to meeting Master Plan objectives. Regarding services, there had been significant advancements in the availability of water services. Services for sanitation and hygiene, however, were falling behind and required greater attention.
Within the WASH masterplan, civil society organisations (CSOs) were designated to support WASH through lobbying, associated action, and public engagement to increase public support and transparency within the programme. The first stage of the partnership with the CSO involved the engagement of five CSOs through a thorough and equitable procurement procedure. Each of the five CSOs did a fantastic job doing their assigned assignments. This gave the CSOs a chance to expand on the platforms they already had in place for implementing behaviour change initiatives.
The initiative, supported by Latter Day Saints Charities, aims to construct sanitation facilities in 5 schools and 2 healthcare institutions, assist 60 needy households in building their own latrines, and assist 25 communities in ending open defecation.
The first training session, led by representatives of the Afram Plains Development Organisation (APDO), concentrated on the CLTS procedure, while the second, led by representatives of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, addressed BaSIS, a database that stores information about sanitation.
When describing the decision to involve CSOs, Harriet Onita Botchwey, the Sanitation and Resource Mobilisation Officer for IRC, stated, “Previously, they were on board for small grants to drive handwashing and behavioural change activities.” It was a smart idea to include them to help the district’s CLT initiatives, given they already have platforms within the system where they interact with these communities.
“Sustainability is the ultimate goal,” she continued. Giving someone a present that ends up on the floor two days after you return is something you don’t want to do. When we return years later, we want to find that the communities are still using excellent sanitation practices and that the facilities are in good condition.
SUDEF Ghana, GADeF International, Phanuel Global Health Group, Firm Foundation, and Universal Rehabilitation Centre were among the CSOs that took part.
Evans Awuni, a GADeF International representative, says the course “has enhanced us a lot.” Most of the time, we lack the skills necessary to assist or enable others. Thus, this specific workshop—especially the field facilitation training—will help us do our jobs more successfully.