Volta Environmental Ladies lead clean-up campaign in Hohoe

The Volta Regional Environmental Health Ladies Association, in collaboration with the Hohoe Municipal Assembly, has ramped up its efforts to enhance sanitation in the region. This initiative is part of a broader regional program by female environmental health experts to encourage community involvement and promote cleanliness, aligning with President John Dramani Mahama's mandate on improved sanitation.

Stella Kumedzro, the Regional Environmental Health Director, announced that the association has been conducting a municipality-to-municipality clean-up campaign across the Volta Region to eliminate filth. Although their initial participation expectations in Hohoe were not met, the commitment and organization demonstrated were encouraging.

Stella Kumedzro praised the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, for his backing and urged residents to make cleanliness a daily habit rather than confining it to monthly clean-up days. She warned that improper waste disposal and blocked drains could lead to the proliferation of disease-carrying pests and vectors, negatively impact tourism, and diminish community aesthetics.

Kumedzro encouraged the community to clean their surroundings, maintain clear drains, and dispose of waste at proper locations, introducing the campaign slogan in Ewe to motivate women to lead in cleanliness.

The Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive, Prosper Kumi, hailed the exercise as a significant stride towards a cleaner Hohoe. He stressed the assembly's commitment to making the municipality the cleanest in the Volta Region and Ghana, noting sanitation as a top priority. Kumi informed that the assembly had utilized its share of the Common Fund to aid sanitation efforts but needed more logistics, specifically a skip truck, to bolster waste collection and transportation.

He also mentioned plans to develop an engineered landfill site for better waste management and potential recycling opportunities. Kumi highlighted the importance of the initiative as Hohoe gears up for the Gbi-Zaa festival and Christmas celebrations, assuring residents of continued clean-up activities, including areas outside the initial scope.

He acknowledged the challenge of altering public attitudes towards sanitation, revealing that some shop owners did not participate in cleaning their premises, and suggested further measures to boost compliance for future initiatives.

The wife of the Hohoe MCE, Ruth Adiba, urged parents to instill good sanitation practices in children, particularly girls, from a young age. She recommended teaching children to keep their surroundings tidy and wash utensils post-meals to prevent disease transmission and food contamination. Adiba emphasized that shaping such habits in children would ensure long-term environmental cleanliness even when parents are unavailable.

The Volta Regional Environmental Health Ladies Association plans to expand the campaign to all municipalities and districts within the region, aiming to maintain Volta's status as Ghana's "oxygen region."