Keeping Ghana’s beaches, streets and public spaces clean cannot depend only on periodic clean-up exercises. It requires communities, particularly young people, to see environmental cleanliness as a shared responsibility.
That message took centre stage at Ananse Beach in Teshie-Nungua, Accra where the Ghana Scout Association (GSA), the High Commission of India in Ghana, Mayekoo , the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) teamed up to mark World Cleanup Day 2026.
The cleanup exercise was championed by the Chief Commissioner of the GSA, Hilary Yaw Awusie, India’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Surinder Bhagat and Robert Mills-Lamptey, Partnerships and Programmes Lead at Mayekoo with the focus extending beyond the mere collection of waste at the beach to public health, civic responsibility and long-term community action.
Clean environment linked to public health and dignity
High Commissioner Bhagat said keeping beaches, streets, schools and neighbourhoods clean was not only about preventing disease but also about showing respect for other members of society.
He linked the exercise to India’s Swachh Bharat cleanliness campaign and its Swachhata Hi Seva, meaning cleanliness is service.
According to him, the initiative promotes Shramdan, the contribution of one’s physical labour towards a wider social or environmental cause.
“We are here and we are doing our small bit to clean up the beaches here, to make our contribution to the society in which we live and spread the message of cleanliness,” he said.
He said cleaner public spaces would allow families and communities to use beaches and other recreational areas safely while strengthening a culture of responsibility towards the environment.
Scouts put youth responsibility into practiceFor the GSA, the exercise is also part of its effort to turn environmental education into practical action among young people.
Mr Awusie said the Association works with young people between six and 26 years, using scouting to instil discipline and responsibility, including the need to keep their surroundings clean.
He said the strong participation of young Scouts at the exercise reflected the importance the organisation places on environmental responsibility.
The Association has previously implemented environmental activities under its Champions for Nature programme, including a beach-cleaning exercise at Chorkor Chimuena in Accra.
Mr Awusie said the organisation intends to continue such activities beyond World Cleanup Day.
Moving from clean-up exercises to everyday responsibility
The Scouts’ approach is to make environmental responsibility part of everyday behaviour rather than something reserved for special occasions.
Mr Awusie said future activities would extend beyond beaches to places such as market centres, where waste accumulation can create serious sanitation challenges.
The Association also plans to use sensitisation programmes to encourage young people and communities to take responsibility when they encounter waste.
His message was that people should not only avoid dropping rubbish themselves but should also take action when they find waste in public spaces by putting it at designated collection points.
That approach shifts the focus from occasional clean-up campaigns to a culture in which residents see environmental management as part of their civic responsibility.
India-Ghana partnership extends to community development
For High Commissioner Bhagat, the beach cleanup also provided an example of how the longstanding relationship between India and Ghana can translate into practical community initiatives.
He said the two countries have established relations at political, official, business and people-to-people levels, creating opportunities for cooperation beyond traditional diplomatic engagements.
He said the cleanup was one example of activities that could benefit communities, while expressing interest in working with partners on other initiatives with longer-term social impact.
He also invoked the words of India’s independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, who placed sanitation at the centre of human wellbeing and dignity.
Building healthier communities
The message from the exercise was ultimately broader than removing waste from one beach.
Cleaner public spaces can contribute to healthier surroundings, safer recreational areas and stronger community participation. But sustaining those gains requires behaviour change and continued local action.
The GSA says it intends to use its youth network to promote that responsibility beyond World Cleanup Day, while the Indian High Commission sees the initiative as one practical expression of the wider Ghana-India relationship.
As the participants worked together at Ananse Beach, the underlying message was simple: environmental protection becomes more effective when communities do not wait for someone else to take responsibility.
