Promoting positive attitudes towards sanitation in Warabeba, Winneba

Final year students of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Education, Winneba, embarked on a “Theatre for Development project” with ‘Your Health First’ as the theme. The project dubbed “Viable means for promoting positive attitudes towards sanitation” was undertaken at Warabeba, a fishing village near Winneba. The project which was part of the final year requirements from the students, also aimed at raising awareness and funds to rehabilitate the only public toilet in the community to stop open defecation. It was also the objective of the project to support innovative community initiatives that promote health and education in the community and to contribute to realisation of sustainable development in which children, youth and the aged in the community are involved in positive activities that will ensure good health and living condition in the community.

Events which climaxed the activities of the project on 27th February, 2018 were a procession of students and pupils and a durbar of chiefs and people of Warabeba and neighbouring communities. The students put up brilliant drama performance depicting the consequences of poor sanitary conditions including open defecation.

The Project Director of SHAPE Attitude Ghana used posters for pictorial illustrations of the negative effects of poor sanitation and open defecation. SHAPE Attitude Ghana supported the project by providing fliers, posters, dust bins and money for rehabilitation of the public toilet in Warabeba.

Apart from donations from other organisations, the Warabeba community contributed labour, local materials such as sand, food and water towards rehabilitation of the toilet. The Queenmother, Nana Ama Akyere I, who chaired the function, asked for support in rehabilitating the public toilet and called for enforcement of sanitation laws. She also employed her citizens to take up their responsibility and not to always rely on the Government to provide their needs all the time.

In attendance at the durbar were the Chief of Essuekyir, the Chief Fisherman, Nana Afedzie, and Rev. Bonney of Peace Baptist Mission. From the University of Education were the Head of Department of Theatre Arts, Dr. Ernest Amponsah, Dr. Samuel Yirenkyi, Dean of Students Affairs and other senior members of the Department.  The Director of SHAPE Attitude Ghana was accompanied by his spouse Mrs. Victoria Amissah Ghartey and Ms. Regina Bonney a Radio Peace presenter.

The facilitators of the project ‘Your Health First’ were Binji Seidu Zakaria as team leader, Nina Ansong, Esther Hammond and Flourence Abena Akuamoah all from the School of Creative Arts, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Education Winneba.

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