The Network for
Civil Organisation on Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN), a non-governmental
organisation, has embarked on an awareness campaign to avert a
recurrence of the cholera epidemic which devastated communities in
Bauchi State last year. The organisation has produced eight pairs of
latrine seats, specially designed for the comfort of the elderly and
the physically challenged, for distribution to its member organisations
across the state.
The spokesperson
for NEWSAN, Deborah Kogi, said that the objective of the awareness
campaign is to discourage open defecation so as to reduce the spread of
cholera outbreaks in communities, most especially in Ganjuwa Council,
one of the most affected communities in the state in the past years.
She explained that the prototype-constructed latrine seats would be
reproduced to meet the needs of the rural poor, noting that with about
80 community leaders in attendance, the campaign would help improve
good hygiene habits. Maryham Garba of Fahimta Women and Youth
Development Initiative, in her remarks, admonished the people of Ganjua
Local Government Area to form sanitation groups in each community to
check the indiscriminate disposal of waste. Ms. Garba urged heads of
households to cooperate with health personnel to protect wells and
other sources of drinking water as well as cooking utensils from all
forms of contamination arising from poor waste management. Also
speaking at the occasion, the coordinator of water and sanitation unit,
Ganjuwa Local Government Area, Mudi Marafa, pledged his community
leaders’ support for the initiative, assuring that the message would be
communicated to residents of the area.
