Sanitation Saves Lives

UPDATE ON SAMA SAMA | iDE’S TOILET AND HYGIENE BUSINESS IN NORTHERN GHANA

Launched in 2016, Sama Sama is the first sanitation business that builds, sells, and delivers toilets in northern Ghana. Working with local manufacturers, banks, and salespeople, we create and supply a desirable and affordable product while door-to-door salespeople generate awareness and demand.

More than 85% of rural Ghanaians lack adequate sanitation, which leads to serious illness, stunted growth in children, safety risks, and indignity. Each year, more than 19,000 Ghanaians die from diarrheal-related complications, including over 5,000 children. For adults, illness often means time away from the workforce, lost income, and medical expenses.

Through Sama Sama, our goal is to improve sanitation for 300,000 northern Ghanaians, reducing death and illness. In three years, local businesses will generate an estimated $36 million in total revenue through toilet sales.

Sama Sama is dedicated to improving sanitation in Ghana’s three northern regions. This often involves travel to remote communities not accessible by road. We work in some of the most challenging markets in the world, which makes life interesting for staff in our country programs.

Salwah Dandawa Alhassan carries out our toilet count and customer satisfaction surveys. Before we sell toilets to communities, we need to understand what, if any, toilet facilities already exist and the community’s interest in our product. If there is interest, we need to make sure we can safely transport materials.

For most of 2016, Sama Sama was in its start-up phase and is now preparing for growth. We are expanding and anticipate doing business in 50 districts by 2019. Dedicated iDE Ghana staff like Salwah are making this happen.