Ghana has ODF communities

Takoka is a fishing community

No plastics found at Takoka

Takoka is a community in the West Mamprusi District of the North East region and it is arguably, Ghana’s cleanest village.

This, according to award-winning documentary producer and journalist, Edem Srem is also due to the fact that the community is the first one in the country to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).

A community is declared ODF-Basic when there is no visible fecal matter in the entire community for a period of two months and then after four months of being ODF-Basic, the community can then be declared ODF if at least 80 percent of households can show they have latrines and handwashing facilities, globalcommunitiesgh.org has stated.

With no plastics found littered around the village, and with hardly any livestock left to roam about the community, residents in this fishing community have been able to hold each other in check, ensuring that they live in a truly clean environment.

Animals are kept in enclosed areas and there is strict adherence to cleanliness, even as the community keeps very clean latrines, as is seen in a video captured from the village.

“Actually, they are the first community in the whole of Ghana to attain a sanitized ODF status,” Edem said.

Watch the video here: