The Adikpotornu community in the Afadzato South District of the Volta Region has chalked significant success at getting every household to own a toilet with the area now having more toilets than houses.

This is through the support of Plan International Ghana’s Rural Water Sanitation and Hygiene (RWASH) programme for the community with over 500 population.

Mr Bless Vieku, District Coordinator of Plan International Ghana RWASH, at a durbar in the Community to mark the World Toilet Day celebration, said the community’s achievements in toilet construction led to its hosting the event in the District.

The NGO is working in 12 communities in Afadzato South and has employed the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) initiative to encourage community members to own toilet facilities.

The District Coordinator said the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) remains the most vibrant group in the community and that members rode on the initiative to increase latrine coverage.

He said the organisation was also supporting vulnerable households to construct latrines.

Mr William Domapiella, Regional Manager of the RWASH programme, said as a child-focused organization, Plan International Ghana seeks total sanitation in communities to prevent water and sanitation-related diseases.

“Owning and using a toilet facilities at home is the only way to prevent childhood morbidity and mortality and until all households have toilets, our objective would not be met,” he said.

Mr Domapiella said good safe drinking water was another major component of the NGO’s programme, having dug boreholes in all 36 communities across the three regions it was working in adding that they would be mechanized and distributed.

The Regional Manager also said girl-friendly toilet facilities were being provided for schools in the various communities in addition to the organization’s quarterly distribution of free sanitary pads to adolescent girls in its implementing districts.

Mr Domapiella said a total of 14,500 menstrual pads would be given out adding that Plan Ghana was working with other NGOs on developing reusable pads.

Mr Richard Ahiagbede, Volta Regional Environmental Health Officer, commended the community for its achievements saying their response to the sanitation campaign serves as encouragement to others.

Mr James Etornam Flolu, Afadzato South District Chief Executive (DCE), called on all to support the efforts of Plan Ghana and urged the communities to maintain the toilet facilities.

Togbe Amedenugor I, chief of Adikpotornu, said bad roads has cut- off access to their community forcing produce to be carted to markets in Kpeve and elsewhere on motorbikes.

He said health delivery has also been affected as the community has no health facility and made an appeal to government to extend electricity coverage in the area.

RWASH is a three-year integrated programme, which seeks to help end morbidity among children in the effort to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s World Toilet Day celebration is on the theme: “Leaving No One Behind”.