BY DRAXON MALOYA.
Malawi. (News of The South) – Organisation in health have stepped up efforts in ensuring that people are maintaining good hygiene practices as Malawians on Tuesday joined the rest of the world in commemorating world toilet day.
In the Northern Region the main event marking the occasion took place at Luhomero Village of Traditional Authority Mthwalo in Mzimba District where it emerged that the district is not faring well in upholding hygiene practices.
According to the Ministry of Health over eight million Malawians have no access to improved sanitation facilities, one million people still practice open deification while 15 million people still lack basic hand washing facilities.
Rural Development Partners (RDP) Executive Director, Daniel Nyirenda, whose organisation has been constructing toilets for vulnerable communities said they believe in total hygiene practices as one way of ensuring good health among communities.
“We are constructing toilets for the vulnerable groups apart from sanitation campaigns over the years, we are lobbying for resources so as to assist those who cannot manage to build a toilet for themselves like the elderly, physically challenged and chronically ill,” Nyirenda said.
RDP is using money about K50 million to build the toilets across the country with funding from a Canadian based organisation—Love a Village—since 2017.
During the commemoration the organisation handed over a toilet to a 69 year-old woman Evess Ngulube.
In her remarks, the founder of Love a Village, Julie Seath said her organization and friends in Canada shall continue to mobilize resources to ensure that the initiatives championed by RDP are successful.
“We have the heart for those living in extreme poverty as a global citizens to become independent , self-sustainable and take care for themselves, we are sorely raising funds through friends, family and partners in Canada and our partnership is with Rural Development Partners here in Malawi,” Seath said
Meanwhile, Group Village Headman, Zebedia Thawe, expressed gratitude with RDP for the initiative which he said will go a long way in ensuring good hygiene practices in his village at all times.
This year’s commemoration of world toilet day falls under the theme “Leaving no one behind,”
Ends.
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