HUNI-VALLEY

THE Government of Japan has given a grant of GH¢65,821 ($55,312) to the Huni-Valley Unit Committee for the construction of public toilet facilities for two communities in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western Region.
This is under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme of the Japanese government.
The project is expected to involve the construction of two 10-seater water closet facilities, one at Fante Newtown and the other at Zongo, both to be completed by 2010.
The Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan in Ghana, Mr Yukata Nakamura, said the project was expected to benefit over 2,000 people in the two communities and surrounding areas.
He said the Huni-Valley area currently had only three public toilets serving a community of over 5,000 people.
“There is no public toilet at all in Zongo and only one old KVIP in unsanitary condition at Fante Newtown. Thus, there is a pressing need for the construction of toilets at these places in order to improve the health and hygiene of the community, provide a place for the people to relieve their needs and preserve the environment,” he added.
Mr Nakamura further explained that having a place of convenience would bring dignity into the lives of the people, lessen the incidence of diseases and raise the living standards of the people in the community.
He said the government of Japan was committed to promoting development in Africa and thus realised the challenges to health and sanitation as some of the biggest obstacles to development in rural communities.
“This is why Japan is pleased to extend the GGHSP assistance to Huni-Valley in the hope that this project will make a huge difference in their lives,” he said.
He said the construction of the public toilets would be the 11th project to be undertaken under the scheme, which began in 1989.
Mr Nakamura commended the assembly and the unit committee members for the determination they showed in getting the grant.
The Assembly Member for Huni-Valley, Mr Joseph Ahi-Quaicoe, said the community had a fast-growing population due to small-scale mining at Abosso Goldfields Limited and the toilets currently available in the area were woefully inadequate, causing sanitation and health problems in the community.
He expressed his gratitude to the embassy and expressed the hope that more projects would be constructed in the community.