The Upper East Regional branch of the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) on Saturday, August 16, 2025, partnered with a volunteer youth group, The Street Janitors, to clean up the Bolgatanga Central Market.
Defying the early morning rains on a busy market day, members of both groups dislodged choked gutters and cleared heaps of refuse around the market, while sensitizing traders on the dangers of poor sanitation. During the exercise, it was observed that some traders had been dumping waste—including human excreta—into the market’s drains, worsening sanitation concerns in the regional capital.
Speaking to journalists, Mrs. Gladys Apuweni, Regional Treasurer of M-CODe, underscored the coalition’s commitment to fighting open defecation and promoting hygiene.
“Today’s exercise is not only about cleaning the market but also about education. We have observed practices that are very worrying, including dumping human waste in gutters. Such practices fuel outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and malaria. We engaged the traders directly to encourage them to adopt proper sanitation practices, access toilet facilities, and practice personal hygiene,” she explained.
Mrs. Apuweni added that the market clean-up formed part of M-CODe’s nationwide campaign, which complements radio sensitization programs and community outreach initiatives aimed at ending open defecation.
“As a coalition, we are determined to ensure that open defecation becomes a thing of the past in our homes, markets, and streets,” she stressed.
The exercise was part of activities marking the 2025 Ghana Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Week. This year’s WASH Week, organized by the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) in collaboration with M-CODe and other partners, runs under the national theme: “WASH for a Healthy Ghana, Everyone, Everywhere.”
M-CODe has also adopted the complementary theme: “Dignity for All, Toilets for All: End Open Defecation Now,” emphasizing the urgent need to improve sanitation and hygiene across communities. The sensitization in the market was aimed at raising awareness among traders and residents while promoting clean toilet facilities and discouraging unsanitary practices.
The Street Janitors, a youth-led volunteer group that mobilizes every Saturday to clean parts of Bolgatanga, played a central role in the exercise. Their leader, Clement Ayamga, explained the motivation behind their work.
“We are not paid to do this. Everyone here is a volunteer. Our goal is simple — to keep our environment clean. People sometimes think it is the government’s responsibility alone, but sanitation is everyone’s business. That is why we gather every Saturday to identify dirty areas, dislodge choked gutters, and clean the streets,” he said.
Mr. Ayamga commended M-CODe for partnering with them and appealed for logistical support.
“We need boots, gloves, wheelbarrows, and basic sanitation tools. We are grateful to individuals and groups who have supported us, but we call on the assembly, corporate bodies, and government agencies to partner with us. Cleanliness benefits us all,” he emphasized.
Some traders welcomed the exercise, admitting that poor attitudes among market users had contributed to the problem.
“As for me, I have a container in my shop for refuse, which I later dispose of in the assembly’s waste bin. But some traders wait until it rains and then pour rubbish into the gutters. That is why the drains are always choked. We need to change our attitudes,” lamented Rakia Sule, a trader.
With the support of civil society, volunteers, and local communities, M-CODe believes Bolgatanga can once again regain the enviable reputation it held in 2004, when it was adjudged the cleanest town in Ghana.
A1Radioonline.com | 101.1MHz | Joshua Asaah | Bolgatanga
