HOPin Academy and Grundfos Foundation boost sanitation in Kumbungu with new toilet facilities for schools and health centre

HOPin Academy, a community-based organisation in Tamale, has handed over modern toilet facilities to the Kumbungu Health Centre, Kumbungu Senior High School, and local market traders, in a major step to improve sanitation and end open defecation in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region.

The new facilities feature hygienic toilets, handwashing stations, polytanks, and safe water points, designed to enhance hygiene standards and promote better health outcomes for students, healthcare workers, patients, and the broader community.

Funded by the Grundfos Foundation, the project forms part of efforts to promote Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) within schools and health institutions in the district.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr MacCarthy Mac-Gbathy, Founder and Executive Director of HOPin Academy, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s mission to build healthier and more resilient communities.

“Our work stems from a deep belief that access to basic sanitation is not just a necessity but a fundamental human right that underpins health, dignity, and progress,” he said.

He noted that with the support of the Grundfos Foundation and local partners such as Fix That Pump, HOPin Academy had worked over the past year to bring the project to completion. “By providing these facilities, we are not only addressing immediate health concerns but also investing in the future of our youth, mothers, and children as well as strengthening the resilience of our healthcare system,” he added.

Mr Leon Roland Elongue Akame, Global Business Acceleration Lead at Grundfos Foundation, reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to sustainable development in underserved communities. “We are happy to partner with HOPin Academy in addressing sanitation challenges within schools and communities to drive national development,” he stated.

Mr Peter Adda, Kumbungu District Environmental Health Officer, praised both organisations for their contributions toward improving sanitation in educational and health institutions. He appealed for similar interventions in other communities and encouraged landlords to construct household toilets to reduce open defecation.

Mr Simon Agongo, Assistant Headmaster of Kumbungu Senior High School, described the initiative as “timely and impactful,” while Madam Moro Jutta, Head of the Kumbungu Sub-District Health Centre, said the project would ease the burden on patients who previously struggled to find decent sanitation facilities.