Private Sector Participation in Community Infrastructure Provision

Avenor, a suburb of Accra with a population of nearly 9,000, suffers from poor sanitation. As of 2009, Avenor had only one Household Latrine and one Public Latrine in a very deplorable condition. Open defecation into the storm drain or defecating into plastic bags; the practice popularly known among inhabitants as “wrap and throw,” were both very common.Although the community expressed their desire to improve the situation, there was little support from city authorities.

CHF International and Nimba Community Support Services (NIMCOSS) collaborated together on the Slum Community Achieving Livable Environments with Urban Partners (SCALE-UP) project to build the capacity of local intermediaries and slum dwellers to bring about the desired change. During discussions with the Planning Unit of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), the need for an improved Latrine facility was raised, as the existing facility was in terrible. Although the city authorities promised to provide a new facility in the future, an interested local citizen decided to intervene by constructing a new one Latrine facility after land became available.

Realizing the relief the proposed latrine will bring to the community, a parcel of land was released by the Lamptey Family for its construction. The new Latrine facility includes a hand washing facility with soap to encourage hand washing after using the Latrine and public bath houses.

The provision of the Latrine facility with a bath house makes life more bearable and convenient for residents since most of them use public bath houses. The facility is well maintained and cleaned several times a day but charge the same rate as other public latrines. Residents now prefer to use this new facility because there is no odor and no need to change clothes after using the facility, as was previously the case with the old public Latrine. Further, there is never a lack of water because there is provision for water storage on-site in case of a drought.