By Bernice Bessey
The National Service Scheme (NSS) has lunched the Urban Sanitation Module to engage youth who would be serving the country for the next nine months assisting in waste collection and management.
The idea behind this module, according to the NSS, is to enable data collection and distribution of waste bins to households, shops and stores. The module also hopes to provide opportunities of job creation for the youth upon completion.
Improper management of waste, which is the main brain behind this module, has cost the country monies meant for development, which have to be diverted into the treatment of preventable diseases.
Dr. Kpessah Whyte, NSS Executive Director, addressing gathering, said though refuse is considered a nuisance to the environment, it can create wealth and job opportunities to the teeming unemployed young people.
He said the module can be the answer to inadequate collection and storage of refuse, which has resulted poor public health, low productivity, and unsightly environments. He noted that the country has not benefited fully from tourism because of poor sanitation.
The youth were advised to discover opportunities in waste management to establish themselves, and also employ others. Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, President of the Environment Service Providers Association (ESPA), said one of the key challenges in efficient and effective waste management service delivery is lack of adequate data in Ghana.
This shortfall has led to poor planning, impacting on logistics deployment, resource funding, and revenue collection among others. “We, at ESPA, are very excited about this new innovation, which will go a long way in addressing some of our challenges, which include inadequate clients’ data, poor revenue collection, poor route planning, inefficient logistics development, and revenue leakage,” he noted.
He stressed that the development of the country is not the sole responsibility of the government, and that it was the collective mandate of all, especially, the youth. He explained that they had the unique responsibility to contribute significantly towards the country’s development.
“Youth is characterised by idealism, flexibility in response to change, reliability and commitment. They constitute the most important resource in society that could be mobilised for national development. No development can take place if the youth are not involved,” he stated.
The Municipal Chief Executive for La Nkwantanany-Madina Assembly, Franklin P. Anku, said if the module is well managed, not only will it transform sanitation, but can go a long way to rapidly improve information, and the economic and social development of communities.
The database collected by the implementers will capture information on structures of household compositions and GPS locations of all structures in Ghana. “This will enable us plan well in our health, agricultural, education and economic sectors – the pillars that make a developed country,” he emphasised.