World Vision Ghana Launches the 6th School Sanitation Solutions Challenge
By Vivian Adu, Communications Officer
World Vision Ghana (WVG) officially launched the sixth edition of its flagship School Sanitation Solutions (Triple S) Challenge in Accra.
Run in collaboration with key partners, this initiative is designed to empower schoolchildren across the country to play an active role in finding sustainable solutions to Ghana’s sanitation challenges.
With the theme “Empowering Children to Co-create Sustainable Sanitation Solutions”, this year's edition invites pupils from Primary Six to Junior High School Two (JHS2) to participate by developing innovative ideas that address sanitation issues in schools, communities, and public spaces.
Participants are expected to present their views on the negative impact of poor sanitation on teaching and learning, as well as on their communities, based on a topic that will be announced in newspapers and on social media.
The competition is being held across Ghana's 16 regions, which have been grouped into five zones. It provides a platform for children to showcase their creativity and serves as a call to action for government stakeholders to prioritise water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools.
Speaking at the launch, Yaw Atta-Arhin, Technical Specialist for WASH at World Vision Ghana, expressed concern over the poor state of sanitation infrastructure in both public and private primary schools.
He remarked, “You can’t carry a toilet facility to a school,” highlighting the disconnect between WASH service provision and child participation. However, he assured the audience that WVG remains committed to building children’s capacity to co-create WASH solutions and influence policy to improve access to sanitation.
The Triple S Challenge aims to ignite children’s interest in environmental sanitation, cultivate a culture of hygiene consciousness, and position children as sanitation advocates.
Abdul Yazid Faraj Timtoni Wumbei, the reigning champion, has actively promoted sanitation as a Child Sanitation Diplomat. His efforts include participating in national conferences and media engagements to advocate for better sanitation, leading peer sensitisation outreach in schools across Ho and Zabzugu, mentoring communities on open defecation practices, and identifying a needy school in Zabzugu for support through advocacy as part of his legacy project.
The sixth edition of the School Sanitation Solutions Challenge marks another significant step in promoting child-led sanitation advocacy and creating a new generation of Ghanaian leaders who are committed to hygiene and sustainable development.
