Lack of toilet facility at the Abuesi D/A Basic School in the Shama District of the Western Region has forced students to indiscriminately defecate behind the school park and nearby bushes, exposing them and their teachers to health hazard.
The only toilet facility for the school with a population of over 600 was demolished weeks ago after concerns were raised about its dilapidated state.
Teachers at the school have in the circumstance been using the toilet facility of the Methodist Basic School which is just a stone throw away.
But for the pupils, the only option available to them is to indiscriminately defecate openly in the school’s surrounding.
The situation, some fear could derail Ghana’s efforts at achieving the sustainable development goal 6 which seeks to end open defecation by 2030.
One student, Edwin Boateng, told the 3News “sometimes some insects bite us when we go to the bush or by the sea side to defecate”.
His plight was not different from Sarah Okesse, a primary 4 pupil who said “snake may bite me so I call my mates to escort me to the bush to defecate”.
One of the residents who are worried about the situation at the school, Richard Gem Abrokwa said it has been a headache for him as he has had to drive the students away from openly defecating around the school compound.
“I am the one who have volunteered to sack them from going to toilet behind the park and the bush,” he said.
Comfort Ama Koomson Aminja, a food vendor at the school claimed three students were nearly kidnapped while defecating in the bush, noting one of the near-victims has since stopped coming to school.
The students and residents in the community are thus appealing to authorities, especially the district assembly, to construct a toilet facility to avoid a possible health hazard among other things.
By Loveridge Ampratwum Okyere|3news.com|Ghana.