Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans, a Non-Banking Financial Institution have invested over GH¢600,000 in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives for educational installations across the country since 2020.

So far, 150 basic schools in the Ashanti and Central Regions have benefited from this initiative since its commencement.

This is meant to improve the sanitation investments and sanitary conditions in these educational institutions in the wake of the coronavirus impact.

Management say the initiative is imperative to strengthen both schools and community investment avenues in the WASH sector to fight the virus.

Sinapi Aba WASH project Manager, Justice Arthur, says “As part of our WASH projects, we look at the schools and micro schools in our catchment projects and support them. That is what we call EDUWASH for the schools."

"As part of the project, we provide them with polytanks, sanitizers, veronica buckets, the washing bowls and supply them constant water to help them improve upon the hygiene situations in the schools,” he added.

The company, as part of the project also provide training services to the schools on sanitation and hygiene in addition to loans to assist them improve the schools they deal with.

“With the WASH projects so far, we train the teachers, proprietors and caterers on hygiene, in terms of water, sanitation and hygiene and water related diseases and poor sanitation and hygiene in the schools so bringing this logistics, we help them improve what we taught them in the training programs”.

Mr Arthur explained this when the team donated WASH items and some books to Royal Shekinah Academy in Apere near Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

Meanwhile, though the rollout of the first batch of covid-19 vaccines has begun across the country, health officials have continuously emphasised the need to keep up with the protocols to stay safe.

Sinapi Aba since the emergence of the disease, has contributed in several ways to support the vulnerable in the society. It is also educating people aside the donations.

“Since last year, we as an institution have been mindful to play our part to ensure that we curtail the spread of Covid-19 in the best way that we can.

To this extent, we have made donations to hospitals, schools, research institutions all in our bid to contribute our widow’s mite to help,” Head of Deposit and Marketing at Sinapi Aba, Eric Ofoe-Barnor, said.

He noted that the move is part of the company’s community responsibility in this challenging times.

“In the current state we find ourselves we cannot dispense of the importance of WASH, it is integral that we all observe the protocols.  In as much as we are mindful of what must be done we all need to contribute our quota so that those vulnerable in the communities will have the opportunity to practice all the protocols.

“Today, we are just not presenting materials to them in terms of protocols but we are also impacting knowledge by donating books that is meant to be used as resource materials for students, teachers, proprietors and even the kitchen staff.”

Officials of Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans, however, says it shall extend its sanitation investment to other regions of the country.

“We are doing this in conjunction with our partners and in engaging these schools we have so far invested over GH¢600,000.

This is just the beginning and we know that as time progresses, we will also bring into our folds many other schools as well as expanding to all the sixteen regions in Ghana.”