The Rotary Club of Tamale has handed over, a 180-micro flush toilet and two boreholes worth GH?200,000.00 to the people of Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi District, to improve their hygiene and sanitation situations.

Mr Alex Kpodo, President of the Club who handed over the facilities at a ceremony at Nalerigu, pledged Rotary’s preparedness to support communities to improve sanitation in their areas.

He said the project was given to the people because the Club saw it necessary to help solve the problem of sanitation and the lack of good drinking water in the community, to ensure that the people lived healthier lives.

Mr Kpodo said the Club expected to see the facility being put to proper use, for the people to stop open defecation to keep the environment clean.

Mr Thomas A. Talley, the Rotarian team leader from Brandywine Rotary Club of the United States, said it was regrettable that many children were dying from preventable diseases as a result of unhealthy environments.

He said before the community and the Tamale Rotary club could achieve their objectives, the people should try to take good care of the facilities.

Mr Talley stressed the importance of proper hand-washing after using the facility, and urged adults to educate children on good hygienic practices.

Mr Talley thanked the households that helped in digging up holes for the project and indicated that the facility could provide compose for farmers and prevent sewage from polluting the environment.

The Nayiri, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, King of the Mampugu Traditional Area, commended the Rotary Club for the gesture, which would help improve sanitation within the Nalerigu community.

He appealed to the Rotary Club to continue to assist them since their problems of lack of good sanitation, unavailability of good drinking water and poor hygienic conditions would still prevail in the community without the support of development partners.

He appealed to the Rotary Club to consider constructing hand-dug wells for the community as a means of solving water problems in the area.