Political commitment follows a conference and site visit in Ghana
Published on: 01/08/2023
"Strengthening WASH systems in Africa requires a paradigm shift that takes into account holistic thinking and approaches to the establishment and operation of these systems."
– Mrs. Fatimata Nouhou, Director General of the Sanitation Department of the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation
In 2022, due to security concerns in Makalondi and Torodi districts we started working with a new partner district, Kornaka. If political stability returns to our former partner districts, we hope to resume activities in these areas. In the meantime, we're scaling our learning into our engagement with local government and partners in Kornaka.
A highlight of the year was inspired by the All Systems Go Africa symposium in Ghana. We invited the Director General of the Sanitation Department of the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation, Mrs. Fatimata Nouhou, and the mayor of Kornaka district, Mr. Attaher Alassan, to join the symposium. The event led the Director General to emphasise the need for a systems approach to achieve SDG6 at a national level meeting.
During the symposium, IRC Ghana organised a site visit to a solid and liquid waste collection and treatment plant operated by the JOSPONG group in Accra. The mayor was enthusiastic about the visit, and it inspired him to improve the solid waste situation in his own community. He says: "Following this mission, I had the initiative to allocate 6,000,000 FCFA (9,146 euro) to install a municipal waste management system and evolve it gradually."
The use of local funds demonstrates the mayor's strong political commitment, as the national government has not yet provided finances for WASH to local authorities. We will continue to support this project, understanding that it is the start of a major shift in increasing political commitment and investment, particularly for rural areas. The next steps will include establishing five waste dumps, a system for sorting reusable waste in each neighbourhood, and a revenue fund management group. We will also address key challenges including mobilising financial resources, strengthening capacity and reaching the most vulnerable.
