The managing director of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd. Mrs. Florence Larbi has urged Ghanaians to respect sanitation workers lamenting that most at times sanitation workers are subjected to verbal abuse by the public.
She stressed that such instances demoralize sanitation workers who in turn fail to give off their best in keeping our environments clean and healthy.
Mrs. Larbi mentioned that most sanitation workers especially those who work on the roads are usually scorned and laughed at but when accorded the necessary respect, they are motivated to do what they do best.
Mrs. Florence Larbi was addressing members of the Zoomkids club after a health walk and quiz competition in Accra.
The Zoomkids Club is an Environmental Sanitation Club formed in Basic Schools across the country to sharpen the knowledge of schoolchildren on good environmental sanitation practices.
Currently there are 450 zoomkids clubs nationwide whose activities include but not limited to Routine Talks on Health, Personal and Environmental Hygiene by Patrons and Health Workers, Beautification Exercises in Schools, Clean-up Exercises at Selected Places, Tree Planting Exercises, Quiz/What Do You Know? Competitions among Zoomkids Schools
The clubs also embark on Excursions to Places of Interest,Fun Games and Drama
Zoomkids forms part of Zoomlion’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
The National Coordinator of the School health education programme at the Ghana Education Service Kate Opoku charged members of the Zoomkids club to be ambassadors of sanitation not only in their schools but in their homes and communities as well.
She explained that there is the need to inculcate proper sanitation at the primary school level in order to generate sanitation conscious leaders.
“Children are agents of change so whatever they learn in the school goes back to the community and therefore sanitation and waste management should be encouraged among children,” She stated.
The environmental sanitation manager of Zoomlion who is also the coordinator of Zoomkids explain that Zoomlion provides the various schools in which the clubs are established with sanitation equipments including shovels and wheelbarrows to aid cleanup activities.
He added that activities of the club are run in collaboration with the School Health directorate of the Ghana Education Service.
Students from the Sowa Din basic school at Ashale Botwe, Baba Yara basic school near Madina and the St. Augustus basic school located at Otinibi all suburbs in Accra participated in the health walk and quiz competition.
Sowah Din Basic School emerged winners followed by St. Augustus in 2nd place with Baba Yara Basic School taking 3rd place.
All contestants were presented with prizes. All participating schools also received 3 240 litter bins each.