PEYORG to make KEEA open defecation free by 2022

Progressive Excellence Youth Organization (PEYORG), an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) into poverty alleviation and human development, has purposed to make Komenda -Edina-Eguafo- Abrem (KEEA) Municipality an open defecation free by the end of the year 2022.

The projected initiative, it noted, would be achieved through the Urban Community Led Total Sanitation (UCLTS) project which was designed and funded by UNICEF.

According to the Municipal Environmental Health Office, only 38 percent of houses in the KEEA municipality had latrines in their houses and initiative will therefore be of immense benefit to the Municipality.

Mr. Philip Amoah, the Chief Executive Officer of PEYORG said the project was basically to eradicate the menace of open defecation by assisting landlords and ladies whose houses were without toilet to build some.

“We have targeted 10,000 houses in the KEEA Municipality with 685 of them already marked by the 515 Environmental Health Officers engaged for the project, expected to commence this year”, he said.

He added that two schools and four health Centres had so far benefited from the project.

He was speaking at a stakeholders meeting at Elmina to solicit opinions and ideas from Municipal Environmental health Officers, Assembly Members and staff of Ghana Education Service (GES) and Community women leaders.

The CEO said the NGO had begun the construction of an eight-seater latrine at Esiam Catholic School, while eight washrooms would be renovated for Kissi Health Centre and 12 toilet facilities for Agona health centre.

He said the Elmina Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound would also get two washrooms while Ankaful Leprosarium Hospital would benefit from 10 toilet chambers with a ten thousand liter water storage for all health facilities provided.

Adding his voice, Mr Osei Yaw Owusu-Sekyere, Municipal Environmental Health Officer was optimistic that the project would sensitize residents to appreciate the need to put up toilet facilities in their homes.

“We are sure that by 2022, the issue of environmental disease transmission and infections would have lessened, if not fully eradicated “he added.

He further urged all environmental health officers to give of their best not just as a way of assisting the NGO or contributing their quota but also as a way of executing their core mandate.