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From: Rose Ejembi, Makurdi As part of activities to mark this year’s International Youths Day, a toilet dance concert has been staged to thrill some communities in Benue State vicinities against open defecation. The event, aimed to mobilise youths for action against open defecation in Nigeria, the “ToiletDance” concert was organised by the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) in collaboration with United Purpose Center for Development and Social Justice (CEDASJ ) and ToiletPride with funds from the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF). Speaking during the event, the United Purpose Programme Manager, Nunpet Chuktu, said that the idea was a citizenship engagement project that utilises the power of music to mobilise youths for action against the sanitation crisis in the country. The event featured OD-Woods of the popular Bless My Way hit song and Rapizo of the popular Terwase hit song. Others are Henry Ipole, Pastor Nicodemus, Floxy and High fly dance group. He explained further that the dangers of open defecation were enormous, hence the need to mobilise youths and amplify their voice around the issues of sanitation and hygiene in their various communities so that they would raise the consciousness around to end open defecations. Chuktu also intimated that the project was currently supporting households to construct latrines and stop defecating in the open, adding that households and families in Agatu, Gwer East and Logo Local Government Areas where the RUSHPIN Programme was being implemented were already reaping the benefits of living in open defecation free environment. |