A total of 42 Water and Sanitation Management Teams (WSMT) in the Sekyere East District of the Ashanti Region have received training on the use of sophisticated mechanized water systems.

The three-day programme, which was organised by World Vision Ghana in partnership with the District Water and Sanitation Management of the Sekyere East District Assembly was part of the Universal Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project.

Madam Georgina Harriet Nyamekeh, WASH Project Officer at Sekyere East Area Programme, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said, the beneficiary communities that included; Kwankwanua, Bomso, Feyiase and Ahwerewa were selected as part of the Universal WASH Pilot Project.

She stated that they would re-train all the pump mechanics from the four communities to enable them to effectively maintain, service and if possible repair the mechanised system that was provided to their communities.

"So far, only a few communities under the district have a high-powered mechanized system. Even though the various management teams have had their capacity built in the management of water and sanitation facilities, the management of such a sophisticated mechanized system needs further training, so therefore we have converted the existing management teams into water boards,” she said.

Mr Emmanuel Arthur, a Facilitator from District Water and Sanitation Management, said the training was to keep teams abreast with the objective of the Universal WASH Project.

“We made them to understand the need for increasing the community's involvement in the operation and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities through cost-effective means with total transparency and accountability,” he said.

Nana Afful, a participant of the training and Chairman of the WSMT in Ahwerewa, said the training was impactful especially with the advent of modern technological trends, process and usage of such systems.