The Role of Non-Governmental Sector in Community Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Technologies and Services in North- Western Ghana

Abstract

Despite the Sustainable Development Goals which have been adopted since September 2015, researchfindings on sectoral achievements of the gaols are inadequate. This study ascertained the approaches,effectiveness, implications and challenges of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and OrganisationalDevelopment as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), in promoting access to water, sanitation andhygiene (WASH) through its water for resilience project in rural communities of the Lawra Municipalityand Nandom District of the north-western corridor of Ghana. A before-and-after study design with mixedmethods research approach was used, and theoretically dictated by the Malongza’s model. Sample sizesof 400 for ex-ante evaluation and 260 at the ex-post evaluation stages were used. It was found that theintervention improved WASH technologies and services, provided schools with vegetables, equippedwomen with livelihood opportunities and reduced diarrheal diseases, but challenged by implementationdeadlines. Joint public and private sector interventions to make WASH services sustainable in ruralcommunities were recommended.