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Assembly joins efforts to ensure local accountability

Some Selected Water and Sanitation Management organizations from eight communities and some civil society organizations within Asutifi North District have received training on Citizen Voice and Action (CVA).

Date Created : 8/31/2020 6:43:57 AM : Story Author : Mavis Ofosuah Asante/Ghanadistricts.com

The four-day workshop which was held from Tuesday, August 18 to Friday, August 21 had fifty-seven participants receiving skill training to empower advocacy and social accountability engagements with local leaders.

Among beneficiary communities were Asumadukrom, Sethkrom, Obengkrom, Bogyampa, Panaba, Magazine, Atwedie, and Abranse.

Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) is an advocacy and social accountability approach with focus on local levels. The approach seeks to facilitate dialogue between communities and their local leaders to improve and ensure sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services (WASH).

The training, embarked on by World Vision through Asutifi North District Assembly forms part of the implementation of Asutifi North Ahonidie Mpontuo (ANAM) Initiative. ANAM initiative began in March, 2018 with focus on implementing a master plan and leveraging on partnerships for a shared and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

It has since then created 22 boreholes in rural communities, schools and institutions; constructed 9 limited mechanized water systems in urban, peri- urban, and institutions; rehabilitated 15 boreholes and Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in 11 communities.

Facilitating the workshop, Mr. Richard Ananga, an Advocacy coordinator with World Vision explained that, the CVA works by seeking information, educating community members about their rights and working with them to identify problems to help in social accountability and advocacy engagements that will protect and enforce those rights.

“Communities that have an active CVA never lacks in social amenities”, he added.

Mr. Oman Kofi Adusei, leader for Omanbotantim group, a community-based pressure group is optimistic the workshop will empower participants and hone their advocacy skills to the benefit of communities within the district, adding: “We have learnt to seek out information when there are issues bothering us, educate other community members whilst engaging them to identify the facts of the problem before pushing them through appropriate quarters.”

The project is to be monitored to ensure its sustainability, influence and yields.