Madam Florence Foli has been a civil servant in Ghana since 1986, serving as an Environmental Health Assistant (EHA) with local governments across the country. The main duty of EHAs in the districts where they work is to work with other communities to achieve environmental cleanliness through good sanitation and hygiene practices.
“She is very committed to her work,” said Albert Essien, a Rotary member who worked with Madam Florence. “You don’t always get civil servants who devote the same amount of time or devotion to communities as Madam Florence.” He explained that the trust that Madam Florence developed with the communities she works in was invaluable in getting local buy-in and understanding. “For example, when we asked a community if they would be willing to pay for water from our borehole, she translated in their local language and put it across in a way they could relate to. When she did that explanation, they got it very well.”
Madam Florence’s assigned geographical zone in the Ga South Municipality includes six beneficiary communities where the RI-USAID Partnership is providing safe water systems – 7 boreholes with hand pumps and 1 mechanized borehole – namely Fante Mayera, Balagonno, Tebu Agbi, Harbor Congo, Obimfo and Bosoafise. In her role, she partnered with the Greater Accra Regional office of CWSA to carry out the community mobilization and training of the water and sanitation committees in these communities. Occasionally she calls me to report challenges. For her, seeing development which necessarily includes the provision of safe drinking water in communities in which she works gives her joy and fulfilment and she finds that more rewarding than financial consideration.
She has also continually provided support to Rotary WASH advocates supporting the committees in performing their roles.
Madam Florence has been involved in several donor-funded WASH projects through her long career, but she speaks most glowingly of the RI-USAID Partnership and her experience working with Rotary members. “Rotary members do a lot of follow ups, unlike other project donors. They always make sure they come and are on the ground. They ask questions. They interact with community members.” She added that the frequent visit of Rotary members in the community also serve as personal motivation for her do her job.
Madam Florence illustrates that the consistent support and commitment of local government officials are critical to the long-term sustainability of WASH projects.
Contributed by Rotary member Theophilus Mensah, Project Manager for Rotary of the RI-USAID partnership in Ghana, edited with additional reporting by RI’s Mohamed Keita. Photography by Andrew Esiebo
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