3.9 million people – over 1 in 10 – don't have clean water close to home.
3.9 million people – over 1 in 10 – don't have clean water close to home.
23.9 million people – almost 75% of the population – don't have a decent toilet of their own.
23.9 million people – almost 75% of the population – don't have a decent toilet of their own.
Diarrhoea kills almost 1,600 children under five every year.
Diarrhoea kills almost 1,600 children under five every year.
Our work in Ghana
We’ve been getting clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene to people across Ghana since 1985. We make sure the people left furthest behind benefit – those who are hardest to reach, and those who are being excluded by others.
We work with institutions at all levels: targeting policy makers, pushing for more funding, and nurturing better leadership. By sharing our experience and skills with others, we make sure that the benefits will be felt by as many people as possible, long into the future.
Transforming the school day
With clean water, decent toilets and hygiene education, pupils are free to focus on learning.
Pupils at Kabre Primary School used to rely on a hand-dug well, unprotected from the elements and animals, every time they needed to drink or wash their hands.
We drilled a borehole and built a solar-powered pump to provide not only the school, but the local health centre and wider village too, with a steady supply of clean water.
Now, the school has flushing toilets, separated for boys and girls. Pupils also take part in games to learn about good hygiene practices, like the importance of handwashing, with organisation Right to Play.
Supporting schoolgirls to manage their periods
As well as installing rainwater harvesting tanks at Kayoro School, we've run training sessions on good hygiene and menstruation. Now, girls like Mary and her classmates aren't just equipped with the knowledge they need to manage their own periods safely – they're also sharing it with the rest of their school through educational plays.
I teach the younger children in my community about periods… I tell them that periods are normal. The kids always listen and thank me.
Training local heroes to tackle the toilet crisis
Gladys is one of four WaterAid-trained latrine builders in Akundo-Apeelinga. Not long ago, there were no toilets here, so people had no choice but to go in the open, risking disease. Now, families have decent toilets – and the safety, dignity and health they bring.
As well as working directly with communities like Gladys' to build toilets and stop open defecation, we influence government policies and planning, to make sure toilets are prioritised in the way they need to be.
We’re also building a network of sanitation experts by sharing our knowledge and skills with other local organisations – so bringing about a bigger, lasting difference throughout the country.
Changing the story for mothers and babies
When Selina Anogwine had her first two children at Busgongo Community Health Centre, the experience was far from pleasant – or safe. With no toilet, she had to use a chamber pot, even when 9 months pregnant. There was no water for her to wash after giving birth, so she had to wait until she got home. Staff struggled to keep the centre clean and infection-free.
But this time around, things are different.
Now the village has a solar-powered water system, and the health centre is equipped with toilets, sinks and showers. Selina, and other mums like her, can give birth in safety and dignity.
It's so different now. There's water and a shower, as well as toilets, so you can have water to drink and wash after giving birth.