Danyaukura, a growing settlement in the Manwe Electoral Area of Wa East, held a large-scale clean-up on Friday, 17 July 2025 to clear mounting filth that residents say is driving up disease in the town.
Once a small farming community, Danyaukura has seen a recent influx of settlers and visitors drawn by mining and related activities. The population rise has increased daily household and market waste, overwhelming the town’s limited sanitation resources.
The clean-up was organised by local youth group Laahi Stars and carried out with the blessing of traditional authorities, including Tendana Majeed Danyau and Chief Naa Alhaji Yahaya Dari. Volunteers swept streets, removed refuse and cleared drainage channels to reduce mosquito breeding sites.
“We embraced the youth’s initiative,” Tendana Majeed said. “Malaria and other illnesses are now common here, and we believe much of it comes from the filth. This exercise was important, but it isn’t enough on its own.”
Community leaders used the event to appeal to the Wa East District Assembly for urgent sanitation support. They are asking the assembly to provide a refuse container for daily waste collection and to construct a public toilet to serve visitors, settlers and residents who live in makeshift structures.
“We produce so much garbage every day,” the Tendana said. “We entreat the assembly to give us a refuse container and a toilet. Without them, we risk an outbreak of disease.”
Laahi Stars and community leaders announced the clean-up will continue as a regular, monthly activity — set for the first Friday of every month — to keep the town tidy and to reinforce hygiene practices.
Organisers thanked residents for closing their businesses during the clean-up and expressed gratitude to those who provided protective clothing and equipment.
They urged authorities and NGOs to partner with Danyaukura on waste management and sanitation infrastructure before preventable illnesses become more frequent.
