A conversation with Eleasha Ankomah, Head of Foundation

The Good Roll Foundation

I am Eleasha Ankomah. Before I was appointed as the new Head of Foundation at the end of February, I was the Project Manager for Ghana. I am very proud of the work I have been able to do for the foundation in recent months and I can't wait to make my dream come true. What makes me most proud is that we are not like all the other (WASH) NGOs, but truly strive to create more local opportunities. This is exactly what I am going to explain to you in this newsletter. I want to map out the past five months with an honest look at where we were, where we are now, and where we are aiming to be in the near future.

I started in this role because Sander said, "I have an idea, and I want you to write a sustainable business case for it." My first focus was therefore to understand where we currently stand. Over the years that we have been active as a foundation, there is something we kept learning: during our important audits or when assessing needs in Ghana, we always realized that building a toilet is not enough.

The solution we have envisioned together with the local communities is the Good Village Approach, with core themes of self-reliance and sustainable development. In other words, "making the world less shitty one village at a time."

Good Village Approach

Together with one of our key stakeholders, the traditional leader of the villages where we aim to make an impact, we have created a model. A model that allows us to make our sanitary facilities more accessible to more people both during and outside school hours. With the Good Village Approach, we are continuing to build toilets. Our dream for the future is to continue building based on broader needs in the communities. This way, we contribute together to a self-sustaining community, powered by poo!

I would like to give the first big update right away: the foundation is expanding! Are you or do you know someone who is an expert in online marketing/social media and fundraising and would love to help build in Ghana because "making the world less shitty" is also their goal? Then contact me at eleasha@thegoodroll.nl, and we will arrange a meeting soon.

From now on, I will regularly take you through the story of the Good Roll Foundation. Have you always wondered how we as a foundation operate, how you can help even more, or just what our projects look like behind the scenes? Then you are in the right place.

Safisana

In October 2023, we entered into a partnership with Safisana. We are conducting the very first trial to investigate the effectiveness of organic fertilizer on the growth and development of bamboo and to promote sustainable bamboo production in general. This trial takes place on farmland next to the Safisana recycling factory in Ashaiman, which is part of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority. The trial will last approximately two years.

In the first week, the organic seedlings were planted, provided by INBAR, an intergovernmental development organization that promotes environmentally friendly development with bamboo and rattan. Safisana is testing on four different plots: on one plot, no fertilizer is added, and on the other plots, respectively, 1, 2, and 3 kg are added to the planting hole, so the optimal amount can also be determined.

With this test, we hope to take the first step toward the production of The Good Roll Foundation’s own organic fertilizer. The sale of this organic fertilizer will improve the quality and quantity of bamboo yields, promote sustainable bamboo production in Ghana, and help the foundation support public schools in Ghana in maintaining the biogas installations.

Now, nearly nine months into the trial, Daniel Larkai, Head of Agronomy at Safisana, explains: “Growing bamboo with compost is effective because there is a big difference in terms of new shoots coming up compared to the areas where we did not apply compost. The 1 kg looks very good compared to the other treatments. But it takes two years to properly complete the trial, so I would say it is still too early to conclude that this will be the best treatment.”

I look forward to giving you more updates about our innovative business model: "making serious business out of poop!"

Two new pilots

I am currently busy preparing for the foundation’s return to Ghana, where we will launch two new projects and start the Good Village Pilot. I look forward to giving you more updates about the work we do here at the foundation. Are you or do you know someone who is committed to a good cause and an expert in social media or fundraising? Then feel free to send an email to eleasha@thegoodroll.nl. I find it an honor to be able to give back to the world in this way and can’t wait to scale up the foundation’s impact.

Are you also excited about the foundation’s future and would you like to support us in creating broader access to sanitary facilities? Then donate now to the foundation via this link: https://www.thegoodrollfoundation.com/donate