World Vision Ghana Launches 2024 School Sanitation Solutions Challenge

World Vision International Ghana will open entries for this year’s School Sanitation Solutions Challenge on Wednesday, May 29. This initiative, also known as the Triple-S Challenge, aims to inspire children to take an active interest in environmental sanitation and empower them to become agents of change within their communities.

A detailed publication will be released in the Junior Graphic and other media platforms on the same day, outlining the requirements and instructions for the competition. The competition, organized in collaboration with Kings Hall Media, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Greater Accra Metropolitan Area-Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SW), the Ghana Education Service, and Zoomlion Foundation, seeks to build the capacity of children to create sustainable sanitation solutions. It also aims to empower them to influence policies and advocate for improved sanitation in basic schools and communities.

Competition Details:

The essay topic for this year was announced during the launch of the competition’s fifth edition in Accra on May 22. The topic is: “Government, development partners and citizens are all concerned about the poor sanitation situation in the country. You are one of the presidential candidates in the December 2024 general election. Kindly outline in your manifesto why and how you will reposition sanitation as a key driver of national development. What are your key proposals to improve the basic and environmental sanitation situation in the country?”

Students from primary six through to Junior High School Two are eligible to participate. According to Yaw Atta Arhin, the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Technical (WASH) Specialist at World Vision Ghana, the first round involves shortlisting the five best entries from four zones.

The second round, known as the Masters Encounter at the Zonal level, invites shortlisted candidates to verbally defend their scripts and demonstrate a deep understanding of environmental sanitation issues. The third and final round, the Battle of Champions, will be held at the National Theatre to determine the overall winner and the first and second runners-up. Additionally, a Children's Sanitation Fair will precede the grand finale.

Mr. Arhin mentioned that the overall winner would be titled Child Sanitation Diplomat and supported in implementing a one-year sanitation project in Ghana.

Empowering Children:

Speaking at the launch, Kweku Quansah, a Director at the Environmental and Sanitation Directorate of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, emphasized the importance of involving children in decision-making processes related to sanitation. Reflecting on past entries, he highlighted the innovative proposals submitted by children, underlining the need to provide them with platforms to express their ideas.

“Let us encourage and give children the necessary platform to express themselves. According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, 73 percent of the total population are people between the ages of zero and 35, but how many are part of decision-making on sanitation issues?” he questioned.

Mr. Quansah commended the competition organizers and recommended positioning the regional winners in a way that supports effective sanitation delivery.

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