Protecting water bodies is key to ensure water security – 2022 Child Sanitation Ambassador

The 2022 Ghana’s Child Sanitation Ambassador, Maame Akua Ohenewaah Gyimah has challenge both actors and non actors in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector to ensure that Ghana’s water resources are protected.

According to her, protecting water resources from pollution and all illegal activities in and around water bodies is essential to ensure sustainable water security.

Maame Akua Gyimah threw the challenge in an exclusive interview with GBCGHANAONLINE after she and some selected students of the Dawhenye Methodist school embarked on an education trip to the Kpong Water Treatment Plant in the Eastern region.

The 2022 Ghana’s Child Sanitation Ambassador, also reiterated her call to the general public to stop practicing defecating.

She explained that the trip to the Kpong Water Treatment Plant has been an eye opener for her and her colleagues.

“Today we have been educated to understand the various stages raw water go through before getting the final refined water in our various homes.

We are also enlightened to know how the country spends a lot of money in treating contaminated water.” Maame Akua Gyimah pointed out.

The Programs Manager for the Young Sanitation Advocate at the Kinds Hall Media, Sharon Quaye also reiterated the call for effective advocacy on the need to protect water bodies from contamination especially those leaving around river banks.

According to her, the negative activities going on in and around Ghana’s water bodies by some groups and individuals are seriously affecting the water quality.

Mrs. Quaye noted that children are the agent for change hence there is the need to involve children in every advocacy program to meet the change the country needs.

She explained that taking the pupils on such study trip is to make the children understand the stages in processing water to the consumer, how expensive it is to treat contaminated water and the need to preserve the environment.

The education tour to the Kpong Water Treatment Plant was organized by her outfit in collaboration with the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation for the pupil of Dawhenye Methodist school in the Greater Accra region as part of the celebrations to mark this year world water day.

World Water Day is celebrated annually in the 22nd day of March. The day is set aside to create awareness on the need for every citizen to have access to potable water as well as to preserve water bodies.

This year’s global celebration was under the theme; “Acceleration for change.”