By: Washington Tumay Watson-onewash9@gamile.com
MONROVIA-Community leaders in Paynesville and its surrounding, especially the St.Kizito School Community have pledged to end open defecation.
WaterAid Liberia and its implementing partners including SHALOM and United Youth on Friday celebrated world Toilet Day in Paynesville, and Community leaders used the occasion to commit themselves to aiding efforts geared towards ending the menace of Open Defecation.
Manager of the Community of the Tiger Worm Bio-digester Toilet Facility sponsored by Water Aid –Liberia through the Wessex Urban WASH project said with the availability of the toilet facility, the community will be free from open defecation.
Patrick Gayflor said prior to erection of the toilet facility, the St. Kizito School Community was the epicenter of open defecation with residents defecating everywhere in the yard.
Gaylor told the gathering that the toilet facility is not only catering to the residents of the community, but that others from adjacent communities as well as marketers are hugely benefiting.
Also, Executive Director of United Youth, Timothy Kpeh, called on President George Weah to sign into law the Open Defecation roadmap.
Signing such vital instrument for the WASH sector will help the country gain more support in the fight against from open defecation which is a serious challenge in some communities across the country, he observed.
Mr.Kpeh urged the community residents to make use of the toilet facility and help to do away with open defecation.
He disclosed that the objective of the World Toilet Day, as declared by the United Nations, is inspire global action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.
4.2 billion live without safely managing sanitation while around 673 million people practice open defecation, he asserted.
Pillar 6 of the Sustainable Development Goal, he said I’d aims at ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, while stressing that 6.2 of the same Pillar aims to end open defecation and provide access to sanitation and hygiene.
Here in Liberia, over 40% of the citizens are said to be practicing or involved in open defecation and that only 18% of the population has access to safe sanitation services while less than 1% practices safe hygiene.
For his part, the Advocacy Manager of WaterAid Liberia Sidua Senia did not out rightly joins the Vollay of calls for President George Weah to append his signature to WASH Roadmap Document, saying signing the roadmap paper on open defecation will not be sufficient.
He called on the Government to demonstrate the political will by fully supporting the WASH Commission and others in the sector.
Mr. Senia reaffirmed WaterAid Liberia Commitment to working with implementing partners in addressing issues of open defecation in the communities.
He also urged communities that benefiting from the Tiger Worm Bio-digester Toilet Facility to ensure its maintenance and management.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.