St. Kizito Community Pledges to End Open Defecation

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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.

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