The Community Development Unit of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has organized classroom sensitization exercises for students of Adjei Kojo Government School to instil in them the habit of hand washing to help prevent diseases.

Miss Theresa Ansaa Anarfi, Head of the Community Development Unit, disclosed this at the Adjei Kojo Government School to commemorate this year’s Global Hand washing Day on the theme, “Our hands, Our future”.

Student WASH ambassadors who were mentored and trained by the Community Development Unit during the year were recognised and presented with certificates and charged to spread the message of good personal hygiene practices

According to her, “These Student Handwash Ambassadors have been selected and will continue to be mentored to mentor their friends, families and in the long term communities on the need to maintain good WASH practices. These children represent the next generation of future leaders. This is also in line with the Tema Mayor’s Tema restoration agenda”.

Miss Anarfi said, “We are more concerned about making impact in the communities particularly focusing on ensuring behavioural change amongst children rather than having a onetime event that is why we started from the beginning of the year and climaxed it at the end of the year in partnership with the relevant WASH stakeholders.”

Present at the event included the Extension Coordinator for the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, representatives from Rural Water Development Project of the Church of Christ, UNICEF, Global Communities, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Crystal Hospital, Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

Activities lined up for the day included a float through the principal streets of Adjei Kojo to sensitize communities, tippy tap competition, drama, writing competitions for the school children.

Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on the 15th of October each year to raise awareness on the need to wash hands with soap under running water to help prevent diseases.