32 artisans end skills training on coronavirus handwashing facilities

Ghana as part of activating the emergency by Partnership Agreement has identified 32 welders from Northern, Upper East, Upper West, North East, Oti and Central Regions to be trained to fabricate innovative and user-friendly handwashing facilities.

One main approach that used to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana is practising handwashing with soap regularly, thus devices and technology for handwashing have become essential.

In Ghana, the popular handwashing technologies for handwashing are the veronica buckets and tippy taps, however, innovations have become necessary in the COVID-19 and many more innovative technologies have sprung up.

The nine-day workshop took place at Yendi Municipality of Northern Region, which ultimately witnessed the fabrication or various innovative handwashing facilities by the participants at the close of the training.

In his closing address Nathaniel Adams Junior (Jnr) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RWDP, Ghana, said participants were taken through the rudimentary procedures on how to come out with basic designs or drawing of handwashing facilities, how to interpret the drawing and by extension equipping them to be able to cost the materials needed for the end product.

He explained that the RWDP Ghana was a Social Service Organization of Churches of Christ Globally with Ghana West African Mission of United States of America (USA) being their main funding organisation.

He said RWDP, Ghana has been operating in the water and sanitation sector nationwide for 33years and drilled over 1,600 boreholes across the country.

He said their partnership with UNICEF had lasted for almost two decades and had seen them drilling over 200 mechanised boreholes, constructed instructional and household latrines and offered technical training for artisan in hand pump, and water system Caretakers and formed water and sanitation committees, Water Boards in managing water facilities at community level to improve on operating and maintenance of sustainability water facilities.

He said during the training, emphasizes were laid on the cost of the facilities to make it affordable, user friendly to the Physically Challenged with durability to help fight the COVID-19.

He said RWDP Ghana acknowledged UNICEF for technical and financial support to ensure the training workshop, which was successful and the support of NBSSI through their excellent facilitation of business models also recognized and appreciated.

CEO reminded the artisans to make follow-up monitoring visits to ensure that they put into practice what they learnt during their training workshop.

Madam Margaret Gwada, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Tamale acknowledged Governments of Netherlands, Canada and Japan for their support for the programme and thanked RWDP, Ghana and NBSSI for the successful training programme for the participants.