Giving Dignity Back: Sanitopia CIC Leads Mission to Improve School Sanitation for Girls Across Africa
For many girls at Nkonya Senior High School in the Oti Region, a simple daily task once came with silent discomfort: finding a safe and clean washroom. Broken facilities, long queues, and limited privacy made the situation particularly difficult during menstruation. Some students missed lessons, while others stayed home altogether.
That situation is beginning to change.
Sanitopia CIC, a UK-based community interest organisation founded by Ghanaian lawyer and philanthropist Richard Kojo Acheampong, has begun a mission to restore dignity through improved sanitation. The organisation plans to construct 10,000 modern and sustainable sanitation projects across Africa by 2035, focusing on schools and underserved communities.
At Nkonya SHS, Sanitopia has built a new 12-seater toilet facility for female students and completed an abandoned washroom block that had remained unused for years. A covered walkway now links the dormitory to the washrooms, allowing girls to move safely and comfortably in all weather conditions.
For many students, the impact is deeply felt.
“Before, some of us were embarrassed to go to the washroom because it was always full or not clean,” a student leader said. “Now we feel respected. We feel seen.”
A Mission Rooted in Dignity and Health
Sanitopia CIC emphasises that sanitation is not just about physical structures, but about confidence, health, and equal participation in school life. Poor sanitation contributes to disease outbreaks and is a leading cause of absenteeism among girls who need privacy and safety.
The organisation works closely with school management and local leaders to ensure proper maintenance and ownership of facilities, helping to keep them functional long after construction is completed.
More Than Toilets, A Step Toward Equality
Across the continent, millions of students attend schools without functioning toilets. Girls face the greatest challenges, especially when managing menstrual hygiene. In many cases, the lack of safe sanitation contributes to school dropout among adolescent girls.
Sanitopia hopes to shift this reality.
“We are building facilities that protect dignity, health, and the future of every child,” said founder Richard Kojo Acheampong. “Sanitation is a basic human right, not a privilege.”
Scaling a Continent-Wide Vision
Now operating in Ghana and working toward expansion across Africa, the organisation sees sanitation as central to educational success, gender equality, and public health. Its work aligns with global development goals that promote inclusive and dignified learning environments.
By 2035, Sanitopia aims to help millions of students learn with confidence and without avoidable barriers.
For the girls at Nkonya SHS, that future is already taking shape.
