“Rural Development Rests on Education and Sanitation” — Mrs Emma Asare Advocates at World Toilet Day Celebration

Stakeholders in the Ekumfi District have marked this year’s World Toilet Day with a powerful call for improved sanitation, menstrual health support and strong investment in rural education. The event was held on Wednesday, 19th November 2025, at Ekumfi Engow under the theme “Sanitation in a Changing World.”

Delivering the keynote address, Mrs Emma Asare, Founder of the Rural and Deprived Community Outreach (RADCO), underscored the importance of sanitation as a fundamental human right. She stressed that the unequal distribution of sanitation facilities between urban and rural areas continues to affect national development.

She stated that: “If we truly want our rural communities to rise, then we must rise to meet their needs. Rural development rests firmly on two pillars: education that enlightens the mind, and sanitation that protects the body.”

Mrs Asare highlighted that poor toilet facilities in schools worsen absenteeism among girls, particularly during menstruation. Sharing a painful childhood experience, she explained how shame, lack of pads and misunderstanding from male teachers once made her school life unbearable.

She called for subsidised or free sanitary pads, improved menstrual education for boys and male teachers, and the construction of gender-sensitive toilets in rural schools.

Adding her voice, Nana Esi Ninsin VIII, Nyimfahembaa of Ekumfi Traditional Area, appealed for partnerships to support her sanitary pads donation drive and the renovation of the Amorkhor Art Haus Training Centre. She noted that ending menstrual poverty is crucial to keeping girls in school and protecting their dignity.

The District Director of Education, Ms Kafui Mary Ahlijah, also emphasised the link between sanitation and academic performance. She pointed out that cholera, dysentery and other sanitation-related diseases remain common in communities without proper toilet facilities, urging chiefs and community leaders to take responsibility for maintaining hygienic environments.

NGOs such as the Sankofa Care Initiative and Global Brigades supported the event with menstrual hygiene education, Smart Sanitary Kits and donations of sanitary pads.

The celebration concluded with a unified appeal for stronger partnerships to end menstrual poverty, eliminate open defecation and ensure that rural girls can learn in safety and dignity.

By: Yusuf Ibrahim Dadzie

Ghana TVET Service Donates to Support Differently Abled in Ekumfi

Madam Araba Adantwi (left) making a presentation to Nana Esi Ninsin VIII (right)

The Central Regional Guidance and Counselling Coordinator of the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service, Madam Araba Adantwi, has on behalf of the service, donated an undisclosed cash prize to support Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Ekumfi. This gesture was made during the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at Ekumfi Eyisam.

The event, themed, “Transformative Inclusiveness for National Development,” was organized by Amorhkor Art Haus, a community-based organization that promotes social inclusion, advocates for basic rights, enhances skills development and wellness, and provides humanitarian services for the differently abled, orphans, youths and the aged.

In her address, Mrs. Anita Nana Seguah Ansah, the Central Regional Director of the National Youth Authority and Chairperson for the occasion, urged participants to prioritize skills training to break the cycle of poverty. She further pledged support for PWDs in entrepreneurship through internationally competitive skills training. “Do not belittle yourselves, make the best of your gifts,” she advised.

Mr. Seth Botchway, the Central Regional Head of RIME for Ghana TVET Service, highlighted the existence of a rehabilitation centre at the Biriwa National Vocational Training Institute, commending Nana Esi Ninsin VIII, CEO and Founder of Amorhkor Art Haus and Queen of the Ekumfi Nyimfa Division, for her similar initiative. He encouraged PWDs to take their studies seriously and seize opportunities for skills training.

Nana Esi Ninsin VIII revealed plans to collaborate with the National Youth Authority and the Ghana Enterprises Agency, to register 100 businesses owned by PWD entrepreneurs within and outside Ekumfi. She also appealed for both financial and material support to sustain the project.

The event saw representation from key stakeholders, including Mr. Joseph Baffoe, former Human Resource Manager of the Ekumfi Education Directorate, Mr. Dacosta Boahene, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation for Ghana TVET Service in the Central Region, Ms. Adwoa Mensima Eghan of the Ghana Enterprises Agency, Ekumfi, Mr. Ebenezer Baidoo, a youth association leader from Essarkyir, and officials from Ekumfi Health Service, along with various youth groups.

By: Yusuf Ibrahim Dadzie