By Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo
In line with efforts to further upscale hygiene and sanitation at Zini Refugee Camp in the Sissala West District, World Vision Ghana (WVG) in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has presented items to women and children at the Camp.
The package was made up of oral hygiene items, dignity kits and medicines.
The Humanitarian and Emergency Manager of WVG, Samuel Gmalu, indicated that the presentation event was a follow-up visit to support the people to better manage their hygiene and sanitation-related matters. He pointed out that financial constraints of the refugees make it a necessity for the refugees to be assisted to get by.
Mr. Gmalu observed that World Vision as a child-centred organisation is duty-bound to work with women who are direct caregivers of the child. He told the media that apart from seeing to the needs of children and women, WVG is limbering up to construct additional hygiene and sanitation facilities like household toilets and bathrooms as done in the Upper East Region. Mr. Gmalu said capacity training will equally be given to the women to help them in their income-generating activities. He added that WVG will provide mechanised boreholes to help irrigate the land that has been given to the refugees for agricultural purposes. The renovation of the Zini Health Centre is equally on the agenda of WVG, Mr. Gmalu intimated.
The Health and Nutrition Technical Programme Manager of World Vision Ghana, Ms. Awurabena Quayeba Dadzie, stated that in spite of the vulnerable situation of the refugees, they are very receptive and ready to adapt and adopt behavioural changes that help them to improve their health as well as nutrition status.
She said the intervention of WVG is anchored on giving the refugees a dignified life. Ms. Dadzie also thanked Ernest Chemist, Vitamin Angels and the Ghana Health Service for their support to bring what she termed “a healthy life” to the people, saying she was so much excited that the refugees have received a helping hand.
A Senior Public Health Officer at the Sissala West District Directorate, Yakubu Benin, was very thankful to WVG and its allies for reaching out to the Zini Health Centre with some medicines, noting it will help to better serve the refugees and the Zini community at large. Mr. Benin promised that they will make good use of the medicines donated, adding that the gesture was “a timely intervention”.
The Camp Manager of Zini Refugee Camp, Abdul Karim Abdul-Salam, was also grateful for the support, saying “it has come at a crucial time” that the World Food Programme has slashed the allowances of the refugees from one thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 1000.00) to four hundred Ghana Cedis (GHS 400.00). He said the key challenge at the camp now “is a place of abode, where they will sleep.”
Mr. Abdul-Salam observed that the carpets in the tents are wearing out and hoped the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will help to change the carpets as an interim measure. He commended the European Union (EU) for its commitment to put up permanent structures for the refugees and pointed at a prototype structure built at the camp.
