Project profile — Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Market Development in Northern Ghana

• Ghana (100.00%)

• Basic drinking water supply:
Basic drinking water supply (14031) (10.20%)
Basic sanitation (14032) (44.90%)
Waste management/disposal (14050) (7.65%)
• Banking And Financial Services: Education/training in banking and financial services (24081) (12.25%)
• Business And Other Services: Privatization (25020) (25.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to reduce the burden of sanitation-related diseases and improve public health for 300,000 people living in the Upper East, Northern and Upper West Regions of Ghana. The project seeks to improve the availability and sustained use of affordable home sanitation by introducing supply chain innovations in the sanitation and hygiene market. Working across 36 districts, the project aims to improve sanitation and hand hygiene behaviors for rural Ghanaians, who do not have access to improved sanitation in their homes. Project activities include: (1) conducting an initial market assessment in targeted areas, and designing tailor-made and sustainable sanitation solutions and sound sanitation business models; (2) local sanitation entrepreneurs producing and selling over 60,000 improved latrines to rural Ghanaians; (3) developing and delivering outreach and awareness activities to promote improved health through safe sanitation and hygiene practices; (4) providing technical resources and skills training to 150 new and existing sanitation entrepreneurs (small businesses) and government officials in delivering market-based sanitation services; and (5) developing financial mechanisms to facilitate the acquisition of improved latrines for families. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project added the following activities aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19: (1) installing 100 hand-washing stations in strategic public spaces; (2) engaging 100 monitors to ensure cleanliness of each station and raise awareness of users on how COVID-19 spreads; and (3) broadcasting of public service announcements on 25 radio stations across project areas.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased adoption of good sanitation and hygiene practices in rural communities in Ghana’s three northern regions to improve health (including maternal, newborn and child health); (2) increased capacity of commercial supply value chains to improve health outcomes through delivery of sanitation services; and (3) increased government capacity to support market-based approaches to sanitation.

Results achieved as of March 2024 include: (1) provided support leading to the sale of over 16,568 toilets (including 3,606 to women-led households) in 44 districts by Sama Sama. The brand was created within the project to produce and market improved toilets; (2) improved access for 126,539 individuals (64535 women and 62,004 men) to better sanitation in their houses; (3) supported Sama Sama in generating over 20 million GHS in incremental revenue for toilet business owners. This represents approximately CAD 1.7 million (of which approximately CAD149,113 went to women); (4) supported Sama Sama’s successful in-house installment payment plan. This was proved critical to 12,347 households (of which 3,606 women-led) purchasing a toilet on installments. The majority of these individuals would have been denied loans through formal institutions; (5) supported women toilet business owners with business training to make them competitive in their businesses; (6) rolled out COVID-19 education radio campaign that was translated into 6 of the most common languages in area of operation; and (7) installed 63 public handwashing stations to prevent the spreading of COVID-19.

• Proactive disclosure