From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Worried by the long practice of open defecation and its attendant consequences, a traditional ruler, a school principal, and others in Benue State have appreciated the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners for leading the campaign against open defecation in their community.
Our correspondent reports that the Benue State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (BERWASSA), in collaboration with UNICEF and LIXIL, the sponsor of the intervention, is currently carrying out Promotional Market Campaigns for Improved Sanitation across the 12 council wards in Vandeikya Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
The traditional ruler, Zaki Tyav Dominic Aondoakaa, who spoke during the campaign at his Gbem Tsambe Council Ward, said the programme would help his subjects stop the practice of open defecation and embrace the use of toilets.
Chief Aondoakaa, who is the Tyo-or Tsambe Ward, said he has joined in campaigning to his subjects to accept the message and immediately adopt the use of toilets and stop all forms of open defecation in the community.
He said, “My people must accept the message of UNICEF and their partners for our own good. We must immediately start building safe toilets in homes that do not have them to end defecating in the open. The benefits are enormous. That is the only way we can put an end to the several diseases we record in our communities due to water and air pollution.
“I am personally grateful to UNICEF for coming to our community to make our people see the light and change their behaviour and lifestyle that will ensure our good health, safer and better environment, which is all for our own good.”
Addressing the community, the acting General Manager of Benue RUWASSA, Mr Tony Mkpen, represented by the UNICEF Desk Officer, Mr Adzaagee Douglas, lauded the people of Tsambe Council Ward “for coming out in their numbers to witness this very important occasion. The large turnout is a clear sign that the programme has been accepted by the people.
“Similarly, I thank the sponsors, LIXIL, for finding the 12 Council Wards of Vandeikya LGA worthy of hosting this sanitation demand creation activity and UNICEF for always projecting women and children in Benue State.”
The General Manager encouraged the people of Tsambe to accept and domesticate what they learned by adopting it in their various homes, stressing that “the building of improved toilets is an indication of a good health lifestyle and longevity for us and our children.”
Speaking on the focus of the campaign, the Team Lead, Nanen Gangese, explained that the central theme emphasised during the campaign was the multifaceted benefits of utilising improved sanitation facilities and eliminating open defecation.
He said, “These benefits encompass socio-economic, health, and environmental advantages.
“The campaign underscored the dire health consequences associated with open defecation, including the increased risk of contracting diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever, among others.
“To drive home the message, the experts drew upon real-life experiences shared by local community members, effectively highlighting the imperative need to eradicate open defecation in Vandeikya LGA.
“The promotional marketing campaign featured interactive and engaging live demonstrations of improved sanitation facilities, including the Sato pan and Sato stool, by a sanitation marketing expert.
“These hands-on demonstrations not only showcased the benefits of these facilities but also provided community members with practical knowledge on their proper use and maintenance.
“Overall, the campaign’s innovative approach empowered community members with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to improve their sanitation practices, ultimately contributing to a healthier, more sustainable environment.”
The Principal of UBE Junior Secondary School, Gbem Tsambe, stated that the campaign to have toilets built in homes to stop open defecation in the community was the best thing to happen to the people of the area.
He noted the high rate of open defecation in the area, assuring that the initiative would go a long way to convince the people to adopt the practice of building toilets for the general good and wellbeing of all.