GKMA HOUSEHOLD TOILETS SENSITIZATION DURBAR AT BREMAN
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, 17th 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.