Fight against insanitary conditions; Ghanaian children look up to you for a guarantee healthy, eco-friendly future – 2024 Child Sanitation Diplomat tells gov’t

The 2024 Child Sanitation Diplomat, Master Abdul Yazid Faraj Timtoni Wumbei has made a passionate appeal to the government, and other environmental stakeholders to come up with innovative solutions to address the country’s insanitary conditions for a secure and guarantee healthy ecosystem for the unborn generations.

According to him, in spite of all the efforts and achievements chalked in the area of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) so far, the children of Ghana still yearn for better approaches and better sanitation solutions that will get the country closer to where its wants to be much faster. “Ghanaian children look up to you to guarantee us a future where cleanliness of our country can be compared with countries in Europe, America, and other admirable parts of the world,” Master Faraj Timtoni Wumbei reiterated.

The 2024 Child Sanitation Diplomat made the clarion call at the opening ceremony of the 35th Annual Mole Conference Series held in Ho the Volta regional capital on Monday, October 7, 2024.

He explained that the cleanliness that we so much admire in those countries was planned, implemented, and achieved by the people of those countries themselves.

“Please lead us to get closer to them so that we can also come to complete the journey. If you fail to lead us boldly today, it is likely that our generation may also not be able to get there, and it will again fail the generation yet unborn. We believe, however, that we can and must achieve this while we are still alive today. How remarkable it would be if Mole 35 could affirm this ambition before we leave here,” he added

Master Faraj Timtoni Wumbei used the opportunity wsalute the originators and organizers of the School Sanitation Solutions Challenge – World Vision Ghana, Kings Hall Media, Zoomlion Foundation, GAMA Sanitation and Water Project, Ghana Education Service, and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources – for giving children the platform to express themselves, learn, and share ideas.

Below is the 2024 Child Sanitation Diplomat’s unedited speech delivered at the 35th Mole Conference.

SOLIDARITY MESSAGE OF THE 35TH EDITION OF THE ANNUAL MOLE CONFERENCE SERIES, DELIVERED BY ABDUL YAZID FARAJ TIMTONI WUMBEI – THE CHILD SANITATION DIPLOMAT, ON BEHALF OF GHANAIAN CHILDREN

Good morning, Mr. Chairman, distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen.

I bring you warm greetings from Tamale, capital of the Northern Region of Ghana, and Grace Holy Child Academy, where I attend school. I bring you further greetings from the proprietor, management, teachers, and my colleagues of Grace Holy Child Academy. They encouraged me, mentored me, guided me, prayed for me, and supported me until I eventually broke the female jinx surrounding who wins the prestigious School Sanitation Solution Challenge, to become the first boy Child Sanitation Diplomat.

I also bring you the warmest greetings from all children in Ghana, who are happy to have been recognized by the organizers of the Mole Conference as a key stakeholder in WASH.

The children of Ghana, who I represent today, are grateful to the government, civil society organizations, and everybody involved in finding lasting solutions to sanitation challenges facing our country. We acknowledge that we are still very far from getting to where we want to be, but at the same time, we also agree that we have come very far from where we used to be some time ago.

It is true that many adults have failed to live as good examples for children to follow in terms of sanitation behaviours and practices, but it is also true that a number of adults have fought hard to provide children some hope in the future of sanitation in the country.

 We are also happy that government and development partners, international and local non-governmental organizations are all making diverse efforts and contributions to ensure that the future of the country’s sanitation is secured. When this happens, we the children will benefit the most as we represent the future.

Mr. Chairman, we are prepared to learn and support the sector with more ideas and be responsive to laws and regulations on sanitation. Some of us with the privilege of mentorship and guidance received through innovative programmes like the School Sanitation Solutions Challenge and the Child Sanitation Diplomat Campaign, will play our expected role to the best of our abilities to support the change process. We will keep learning new things and keep sharing our new knowledge with our peers.

Our key message for this morning, however, is that in spite of all the efforts and achievements in sanitation so far, we still yearn for better approaches and better solutions that will get us closer to where we want to be much faster. Ghanaian children look up to you to guarantee us a future where cleanliness of our country can be compared with countries in Europe, America, and other admirable parts of the world.

The cleanliness that we so much admire in those countries was planned, implemented, and achieved by the people of those countries themselves. Please lead us to get closer to them so that we can also come to complete the journey. If you fail to lead boldly us today, it is likely that our generation may also not be able to get there, and it will again fail the generation yet unborn. We believe, however, that we can and must achieve this while we are still alive today. How remarkable it would be if Mole 35 could affirm this ambition before we leave here.

May I seize this opportunity to salute all my predecessors, Neriah, Mawada, Maame Akua, and Adjoa, for setting a good pace for Ghanaian children to increase our interest and get involved in sanitation advocacy.

 Finally, I salute the originators and organizers of the School Sanitation Solutions Challenge – World Vision Ghana, Kings Hall Media, Zoomlion Foundation, GAMA Sanitation and Water Project, Ghana Education Service, and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources – for giving children the platform to express themselves, learn, and share ideas.

I also thank CONIWAS for facilitating my participation in this conference, and Mr. Bruce Dominic Welaga, Manager of Grace Holy Child Academy, for accompanying me all the way from Tamale to this place.

God bless you all.

The Mole Conference series, organized by the Coalition of Non Governmental Organizations in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) and supported by WaterAid Ghana, World Vision Ghana, Plan International Ghana, UNICEF, the World Bank, and Global Communities, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, the World Bank-funded GAMA SWP project, among others.

The theme for the 35th edition of Mole Conference series is: “Looking Back on SDG Six Implementation in Ghana: Progress, Challenges, and the way forward.”

The annual Mole WASH Conference is a CSO-led multi-stakeholder platform aimed at reviewing sector performance, influencing policies, removing barriers and promoting access to sustainable Water, Sanitation Hygiene services.

By: Kwadwo BUABENG