M-CODe steps in to help cure spectacle of open defecation

On Founder’s Day last Friday, September 21 (which on our blind side, appears to have been re-named Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day), a group of media house representatives and journalists launched the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe). They are resolved to step into Ghana’s disgraceful problem, and push for the required multi-facet solutions. As a country, we are individually and collectively worried and ashamed about the spectacle of open defecation. On the global level, Ghana places very high as one of the leading countries in the world with one fifth of its citizens defecating openly. It is said that even cats dig holes when nature calls, and promptly cover up their thing. So we cannot continue with a situation where cats exhibit higher levels of civility than some of our people. That is unconscionable!

Language is fascinating and can be deceptive. Open defecation (OD) sounds like a very sophisticated phrase. If you do not know, you would think that OD stands for Organizational Development or something that is honourable. Open defecation steals dignity. Why would anyone squat in the open, with passers-by looking on, to ease him/herself? President Akuffo Addo should keep his sanitation promise of keeping at least Accra clean. We are holding the promissory note close to our chests. We must cash the cheque; we cannot accept a bounced cheque. We will not forgive President Nana if he squanders a four-year term, without fixing the filth problem of Ghana.

M-CODE’S CLEAR MISSION

Holidays should amount to something (we have too many of them anyway). But a birthday to celebrate the founding father(s) of our country should be a time for reflection, not just a day of simply not going to work. So it was very impressive that on the special day of remembrance, M-CODe issued a statement to urge “all Ghanaians to reflect on the contributions of our forebears that led to Ghana attaining independence”. Imagine if any of our forebears should rise from the dead to bear witness to our current state of disgraceful sanitation! M-CODe maintains that “Osagyefo would definitely be disappointed in us if he were to see or feel the way we have managed our sanitation in general, and especially where his beloved Ghana ranks among the league of filthy countries in the world 61 years after his toil.”

The statement highlighted the health and tourism repercussions of our poor state of sanitation. “Once among the most attractive countries to visit in Africa, Ghana now ranks among seven poorest performing countries in terms of sanitation. Open defecation is the main reason why Ghana still records cholera outbreaks and a lot of diarrhoea deaths amongst children and adults. One out of every five Ghanaians defecate outside a toilet each day, representing close to six million people who engage in open defecation.”

In a problem-solving posture, the Coalition made a number of demands in its statement: Ban open defecation at the beaches by December 2019.  By the end of 2020, every school and health centre (both private and public) should have access to clean and hygienic toilets. The government should develop and publicize a roadmap for the eradication of open defecation; and stablish a budget line to support the eradication. The Coalition is set to challenge the institutions with the mandate to solve this national problem through monitoring them; celebrate Ghana’s successes in this fight, and intensify public education to effect changes in citizens’ behaviours.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS SANITATION STATISTICS

The info-graphics on this page (created by Citi FM), pictorially tells the story of sanitary facilities in Ghana’s basic schools. It is troubling that 7,332 public basic schools (35%) have been constructed without toilets; or have toilets that do not function well. This means that several thousands of kids attend school in facilities without places of convenience. This further means that children and their teachers are unable (with dignity) to respond to nature when it makes the grand call—as it does daily.

We are also not doing well with the provision of urinal facilities in basis schools. 6,922 basis schools (33%) do not have places for pupils to urinate. The children who attend schools in those facilities either have to hold urine throughout the almost full day they are in school; or go and do it in the bushes, behind the school building, or in any awkward locations. 

If you think the dire situation of one third of basic schools not having places of convenience is not dire enough, here is another troubling dimension to the insanitary challenges children face in going to school. More than half of the public schools (11,985 schools—that is 58%) do not have water facilities. So the schools with water closets cannot be flushed. Children cannot wash their hands after using toilets and urinary facilities at school. 

This situation has disturbing gender dimensions. Girls will be the most disadvantaged. During the period of menstruation, managing that natural situation will be tricky. So the chances of girls staying away from school during the menstrual period is very high. This could easily result in high school drop-out rate for girls. Since females are half the sky, by not providing decent toilets in our public schools, we are already disadvantaging them out of school. Why should the girl child be exposed to such humiliation and stolen dignity by the lack of toilets in our schools? 

CURE THE SHAMEFUL SPECTACLE 

President Nana and the superstars of Christendom want a cathedral, a mighty infrastructure to give praise to God. So let’s cut a fair deal. Stop open defecation in Ghana! Schools, hospitals and public places should have toilets with running water. There should be convenient stops on all highways throughout the country with functional toilets for travellers to use.  

All the unsightly garbage that scatter our villages, towns, villages and hamlets (and our conscience) must be cleared. The stinky open gutters must be cleaned up. And please factor in the covering of those open gutters. With determination and focus, most of these things can be done satisfactorily in two years. Then we will vote for President Nana again in 2020. Then he can go ahead and build the largest most beautiful cathedral in the whole wide world. Then Jesus will come down and occupy it. A deal is a deal!

Mahatma Gandhi proclaimed these wise words: “Sanitation is more important than independence.” What a good food for thought! 

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