Members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) have launched activities to mark Francophone Month in Ghana with a community clean-up exercise at Ananse Beach in Accra.

The initiative, dubbed the first OIF Umuganda in Ghana, brought together diplomats, local authorities and residents of the Krowor Municipality in a show of solidarity aimed at promoting environmental sanitation and community spirit.

The exercise was led by Côte d’Ivoire’s Ambassador to Ghana, Assiélou Félix Tanon, who also serves as the Dean of OIF member countries in Ghana, and Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Rosemary Mbabazi.

Speaking during the event, High Commissioner Mbabazi highlighted Umuganda- a Rwandan community service initiative- as one of Rwanda’s outstanding home-grown solutions that has helped build cleaner communities while strengthening social cohesion.

She noted that the concept encourages citizens to voluntarily dedicate time to communal work, particularly sanitation activities, and expressed optimism that similar initiatives can help address environmental challenges in communities.

Ambassador Tanon emphasised that the activities planned for Francophone Month demonstrate that the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie stands for more than language.

“Through Umuganda and other activities planned this month, we are confirming that the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie is about more than language,” he said.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Krowor, Paul Afotey Quaye, commended the OIF and the diplomatic community for partnering with the municipality to tackle sanitation issues.

According to him, while authorities continue to implement sanitation programmes, human attitude remains the biggest challenge in addressing waste management in the municipality.

He therefore urged residents to stop dumping refuse into the lagoons within the municipality.

Mr Afotey Quaye explained that waste disposed of in the lagoons eventually flows into the sea and later washes back onto the beaches, worsening the sanitation situation along the coastline.

He disclosed that the Municipal Assembly is currently reviewing a proposal submitted by a non-governmental organisation to install interceptors in the lagoons.

The interceptors, he said, would trap rubbish thrown into the waterways and prevent it from reaching the sea.

Participants at the event described the exercise as a successful show of collaboration between the diplomatic community and local residents.

After the clean-up exercise, participants engaged in games and social interactions, bringing the event to a close in an atmosphere of unity and celebration as Francophone Month activities get underway in Ghana.