As part of efforts to provide clean and potable water for school children and the community, the SOS Children’s Villages Ghana in collaboration with Jossiam Company Limited, the Abuakwa North Municipal Assembly, Ghana Education Service, has commissioned a water pump installation project for five schools in the Abuakwa North Municipality.

The water facilities entailed a mechanized borehole, fitted with a 5000-litre water tank and a standing pipe, each for the beneficiary schools in Kukurantumi, New and Old Tafo and Obodanse.

The project would enable pupils from the beneficiary schools to have access to clean and portable drinking water, which would impact positively on their health, education and overall well-being.

The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages, Ghana, Mr Alex Mar Kekula said access to clean water was a fundamental right that shaped the destiny of communities and added that the provision of the water facility would enable the pupils to have access to clean water that would promote good health, hygiene, and create an environment for conducive learning.

“This project symbolizes our collective commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of circumstances, has access to a fundamental resource essential for life,” he noted.

He revealed that over the years, his outfit has been a beacon of hope and support for many vulnerable children, families and communities in the country, adding that they have created not just homes for children but communities that nurtured and uplifted those in need.

He said through their Family Strengthening Project which aimed at actively empowering families to stay together and has been in existence for the past five years in the municipality, the Village has engaged in several projects including providing access to essential social services like education, health and good nutrition to 1,323 children, providing WASH facilities to 10, 579 school children in 7 schools among others in the municipality.

He said the water project was part of the many projects that have been provided by his outfit and hoped that the water facilities would have a positive impact on the lives of children and the communities

“This water project is not merely a water project, but a lifeline to schools and communities around then,” he said and called for the need to provide the essential resources for the existence of children and communities.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Abuakwa North, Alhaji Babs Bodinga said the provision of water facilities in the schools has complemented the development of the area and has expanded access to basic social services.

Commending the SOS Children’s Village, he said their contribution was worth emulating and pleaded with them to extend their projects to other parts of the municipality and urged the schools to own the water facilities and maintain them for future generations to have access to them.   

The Headmaster of one of the beneficiary schools, Kukurantumi M/A JHS ‘A’, Pastor Peter Agbeko said the water facility was a relief to the schools as children previously had to go fetch water during contact hours, adding it was a challenge that impacted negatively on the pupils’ education.

He thanked the SOS Asiakwa Children’s Village for such a kind gesture and called on all stakeholders to collaborate with the schools and provide the needed infrastructure that promoted good learning environments for the pupils.  

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Tafo Kukurantumi