Uptown Cleaners Leads Cleanup Drive to Restore Sanitation in Ashaiman

Ashaiman witnessed a major sanitation boost over the weekend as the Uptown Cleaners Group embarked on a vigorous cleanup exercise, clearing clogged gutters and sprucing up the town’s main streets, championing the vision of a cleaner Ghana.
The voluntary initiative, which drew community members and youth volunteers, was led by the group’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Vincent Tekper, whose passion for sanitation and communal responsibility has fuelled the campaign since 2020.
Motivation
According to Mr. Tekper, the motivation behind Uptown Cleaners stems from his personal experiences and connection with Ashaiman. “When I came to Ashaiman, I didn’t just find a place to live. I found my wife, started a family, and even built my small house here. So doing something for the town is from the heart,” he said.
He further explained that his vision was reignited after watching a motivational interview with the founders of the Buz Stop Boys sanitation movement, who encouraged Ghanaians to form community-led cleanup teams. “I realised this was the dream I always wanted to pursue, so I entered the gutters and began the work.” Though faced with challenges such as limited funding and volunteer fatigue, Uptown Cleaners has managed to hold periodic cleanups every three weeks, rallying unemployed youth and concerned citizens to contribute their quota to a cleaner environment.
Optimism
Mr. Tekper expressed optimism that with support from authorities and corporate Ghana, the group could scale up its efforts to conduct daily sanitation activities. “If we get logistics or any kind of support, we’re ready to do this every day,” he emphasised.
For his part, the Chief of Ashaiman, Nii Annang Adzor, visited the cleanup site and lauded the Uptown Cleaners for their selfless commitment to community development. He used the opportunity to caution residents against indiscriminate dumping of waste, describing it as a threat to public health and a blot on the town’s image.
Nii Adzor donated an undisclosed amount to support the group’s operations and appealed to corporate bodies to extend their support to such impactful volunteer-driven initiatives. Uptown Cleaners operates under the mantra “We Stand for a Cleaner Ghana” and continues to call on the youth to embrace collective responsibility.