gkma Archives - Suame Municipal Assembly

The Bremang Community was selected as a ’’Flagship community’’ during the rapid assessment period prior to the implementation of the GKMA project in the Suame Municipality by the field assessment team. According to the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) Household Toilet Programme, all households in the flagship communities should have a toilet. To achieve this goal, there was the need to reach out to all community members with information on the project through massive public education and sensitization programmes .

It is for the above purpose that this community durbar was organized to send out a message to the general public and also to interact with them to answer some of the questions they had, concerning the project and to also encourage them to apply for a household toilet in their homes.

DATE THE DURBAR WAS ORGANISED : Friday, 17^th December, 2021

TIME : The programme Started and ended between the hours of 9am-12pm

THE DURBAR VENUE : It was organized on the Bremang funeral grounds, near the

Bremang Roman Catholic School, Dr. Donkor Fordjour.

ATTENDANCE: The Durbar was attended by the following people;

The Representative of Nana Bremanhene, Nana Opoku Agyeman- Breman Akwamuhene.
The Suame Project Coordinator.
Assembly member of Breman, in the person of Hon. Kwasi Obour Manu.
Unit Committee Members from the Bremang community.
Municipal Environmental Health Officer- Suame
Environmental Health Officers ( including the toilet team members) and Sanitation Guards.
Bremang market queens and traders.
Suame Municipal Director of Social Welfare/Community Development
Municipal Information Services Director National Service Personnel and NABCO Trainees, Bremang Community Information Center operators and the general public.

In all, the durbar was attended by about Two Hundred and Eleven participants (211) out of

which One Hundred and Thirty One (139) were females and Seventy Two (72) males

ADDRESING THE PARTICIPANTS

Participants of the Durbar were given education on the GKMA-SWP by the two (2) main resource persons, the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, in the person of Mr. David Oppong Darko and the Municipal Project Coordinator, Mr. Benjamin Busia Opoku. The two(2) resource persons took their time to explain the project to participants through the use of the local language ( Twi) to the best understanding of the community members.

SOME OF THE KEY AREAS THAT WERE ADDRESSED

The following were some of the key areas that the education was centered on.

Available Toilet options and their prices.
How to pay for a Toilet.
How to channel grievances for amicable resolution.
Why the price for a GKMA Toilet is so low ( Subsidies).
Who qualifies and who does not, and why ?
The Flagship community.
The durability of the GKMA Toilets and available water service component attached.
How to properly manage and maintain the Toilet during use.

There was an open forum, where participants were given the opportunity to ask any questions bordering them as far as the project is concerned.

The following were some of the concerns of some participants;

A participant wanted to know if their relatives in some districts outside the project zone can also get the Toilets ?
A participant who was not served a toilet because of lack of space on her compound wanted to know if there could any help.

This and many other concerns and contributions were raised by participants and same were addressed by the resource persons.

World Toilet Day (WTD) is a day set aside internationally by the United Nations to create awareness of the value of toilets among the larger population in the sense that, lack of a safely managed toilet in one home can affect the health of the entire community. This day is to also draw the attention of Governments to adequately budget for sanitation and sanitation related services especially in the poorest and the most marginalized communities. This is also in line with the making of strong efforts to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6 which is to ensure the attainment of Water and Sanitation For All By 2030.

It is for the above purpose that 19^th November of every year has been internationally earmarked as the ’’World Toilet Day’’ and worth commemorating to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

The Theme for the 2021 World Toilet Day was ’’ VALUING TOILETS ’’ with the full support from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

The Suame Municipal Assembly also commemorated the day with a float from Kronum through the principal streets of Bremang, Maakro, Suame Roundabout and then to the Jubilee Park, Kumasi to join the other GKMA Assemblies and dignitaries for the grand commemoration of the World Toilet Day celebration.

DATE : 19^th November, 2021

TIME : The programme Started as early as 7:00 am with a float.

VENUE : Kronum, Maakro, Bremang, Suame, Anomangye and Jubilee Park, Kumasi where the grand commeration took place.

ATTENDANCE:

The entire programme including the float was fully participated by

The Hon. Municipal Chief Executive of Suame Municipal Assembly ( Hon.Maxwell Ofosu Boakye).
Municipal Coordinating Director (Mr. Johnson Nyarko ).
Heads of Departments of the Assembly and staff.
Assembly members and the Unit Committee members of the various electoral areas.
Environmental Health Officers and Sanitation Guards of the Assembly.
National Service Personnel and NABCO Trainees.
And the general public

In all, the float was attended by about Two Hundred and Thirty participants ( 230) out of which One Hundred and Fifty Five (155) and Seventy Five (75) were females.

MAIN ACTIVITIES THAT WERE CARRIED OUT

The main activities that were carried out includes a float in the Suame Municipality which started from Kronum through to the principal streets of Bremang, Maakro and Suame where there was sensitization, registration and distribution of flyers to market women, passengers and other community members. After the float, all the participants converged at the frontage of the Suame Municipal Assembly and headed to the Jubilee Park for the main event of the day.

As part of the commemoration at the event grounds, there was a speech delivered by the Hon.Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Cecelia Abena Dapaah on the purpose of the commemoration the World Toilet Day. There was a presentation of a brand new GKMA pickup with registration number GN9853-21and Two (2) motorbikes also with the registration numbers M-21-AW 9409 and M-21-AW 9410.

Attached are some of the pictures taken during the event.