ACCESS TO SAFE SANITATION IN THE NADOWLI DISTRICT, THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY LED TOTAL SANITATION (CLTS)

Abstract

Providing sanitation in rural communities in Ghana has become a huge challenge. Funds from the Government remains scarce while external or, for that matter, international donor support for sanitation in many instances have become ineffective. In today's world, where sanitation is on the high level of technology, it is sad to note that there is a silent crisis called poor sanitation which is affecting the health, well being, dignity and development of millions of people. This study explored the impact made by the new self help concept of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in rural communities in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region. The study adopted a survey research design. A total of 84 households and 12 officers from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and government agencies within the District Assembly were selected for the study. The findings reveal that prior to the implementation of the CLTS in the district, open defection was a serious menace, even though some other interventions were made, such as provision of subsidy. Contrary to the old approach, CLTS involves all community members from the beginning, from the need assessment to choosing the type of latrine and the type of materials to use. This creates some sense of ownership and also encourages patronage. The study concludes that there is the need for an investigation into the local demand and willingness for community members to pay for sanitation services in all communities earmarked for such purposes in order to have a mass adoption of the project. To make the project more sustainable, the study recommends that technical assistance should be given to communities in the form of latrine artisan training as well as training in other components of hygiene to help in complementing the hardware and the soft ware components.