Residents of Kwankyeabo in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region are finding difficulties to fight the Covid-19 as they grapple with access to potable water and poor toilet facilities.

In the midst of heightening numbers of Covid-19 infections, the community is faced with open defecation as there are no proper toilet facilities for residents.

Chief of Kwankyeabo Nana Attah Appiah Kubi II complained that "the only available place of convenience for us in this community has been designated for females as the males are forced to defecate openly along the roadside and in the bushes."

The chief recounts his ordeal when he occasionally receives visitors who ask of a place of convenience.

"When I received visitors from other communities or when there's a funeral and relatives travel from far and near to my town and they want to use the toilet, I feel ashamed because the community has no proper toilet facility and we have endured this poor sanitary conditions since time immemorial."

Kwankyeabo is a mining and farming community of about 600 residents. In the area, safety protocols such as frequent hand washing and social distancing are poorly practiced.

Despite non-adherence to Covid-19 safety protocols, the community's major challenge is poor toilet facilities and potable water for residents to frequently wash their hands to prevent the spread of the virus. On the outskirts of the town sits an old half-exposed makeshift mud structure which residents say has been the community's only place of convenience especially for females. 

But now, the residents can have a sigh of relief as a Christian fellowship of Asanko Gold Ghana has come to the community's aid with 10 seater bio-digester toilet facility and mechanical borehole with over 1,000 gallons water storage facility to support residents in their fight against Covid-19.

Leader of the fellowship, Pastor Emmanuel Baah Danso who spoke to JoyNews during sod cutting and handing-over ceremony throws more light on the gesture. 

"We the Christian fellowship within the mines are committed to putting smiles on faces especially those who reside within the mine areas of operations. We also believe that Christianity is not only about going to church but the works we do outside the church to affect lives in a positive way, so this ten-seater ultra-modern toilet facility and mechanical borehole will go a long way to solve the poor sanitation challenges people of Kwankyeabo are faced with."

Gracing the short ceremony to hand over keys of the toilet facility to the community was the Executive General Manager of Asanko Mines, Charles Amoah.

During his keynote address, Mr Amoah admonished the chiefs and people of Kwankyeabo to be good stewards of the facilities as they ensure constant maintenance.