Fixing age-old water challenge: GRIDCO provides Navrongo SHS with 2 mechanised boreholes

Since the establishment of the Navrongo Senior High School (NAVASCO) in the Upper East Region over 60 years ago, the school has been grappling with the challenge of access to potable water by students and staff.

Although there has been a significant increase in the students’ population over the years, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of boreholes to meet the growing demand for water in the school.

The current student population of 2,034 and staff strength of 78 in the school depend on only two mechanised boreholes and four manual ones. One of the boreholes serves six dormitories and some staff in the eastern zone of the school.

The remaining borehole serves one dormitory, the school kitchen, the mosque and some staff in the southern zone of the school. 

Due to the inability of the two existing boreholes to meet the water demand in the school, students, in particular, were compelled to wake up early, on a daily basis, to form long queues around the boreholes to fetch water to bathe and undertake other activities before attending classes.

The students had to compete for water at the boreholes and other water sources for long hours, a development which sometimes made students attend classes late and had negative consequences on their academic work.

Due to the pressure on the existing boreholes, some students were forced to move outside and walk for hours to the nearby community, where the school is situated, to fetch water.

GRIDCO rescue

As a major step to address the water problem and bring relief to both the staff and students, the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCO), based on a request received, has inaugurated two mechanised boreholes worth GH¢100,000 for the school.

According to GRIDCO, the support to NAVASCO was in fulfilment of one of the company’s core values dubbed “CARE”, which is aimed at demonstrating the company’s commitment to supporting its stakeholders in its areas of operation.

It is also in line with GRIDCO’s sustainable corporate social responsibility and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal Six, which is to “Ensure the availability and the sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”

Therefore, the construction of the boreholes is expected to relieve staff and students of NAVASCO of the frequent water challenges experienced, especially during the dry season, and reduce the time spent by students in searching for water.

Support to communities

At a ceremony to officially hand over the water project last Wednesday, the Manager, Corporate Communications, GRIDCO, Dzifa Bampoh, said “The school is located within the Nayagnia substation of the company and it is imperative that GRIDCO supported communities in its operational areas.”

She noted that the company was proud to be associated with the project, since water is an important resource, adding that with the threat of climate change, especially in the northern part of Ghana, it was essential for the people to be assisted to have access to water.

“As a company, we are happy to provide this timely support to NAVASCO, which will make water easily accessible to students and staff and bring, to an end, the years of struggling daily in search of water.

“In a time where recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is heavily reliant upon access to water for handwashing, good personal hygiene and health, access to water is critical towards preventing infection and disease,” she stated.

Proper care

She indicated that it was the hope of the management of GRIDCO that the newly constructed boreholes would be taken care of properly so that the water flow remains consistent for the benefit of all.

She stressed: “GRIDCO hopes that the improved water access will enhance sanitation and hygiene, save time spent in fetching water and ultimately improve the well-being of the many students and staff of the school.”

She further urged the students to conserve water and not waste it since climate change was affecting access to water in several parts of Ghana, especially in the north, adding: “So, let us use water, which is one of our limited resources, judiciously.

“We hope that since the school has a history of maintaining their existing two boreholes to serve students and staff, they will also maintain the two newly constructed ones to stand the test of time,” Ms Bampoh said.

Impact on studies

The Senior Prefect of the school, Nyaaba Simon Anyorka, said access to water had been a problem for them as they had to compete for water everyday when they gathered around the existing boreholes to fetch water.

"As students, who hitherto had to comb around for water, we are highly elated that we now have enough water to use in the school " he said.

He stated that students who used to engage in truancy under the pretext of searching for water outside the school would no longer have an excuse to engage in such behaviour.

Timely support

For her part, the Director of Education in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, Alice Ellen Abeere-Inga, expressed gratitude to GRIDCO for the timely support, since the inadequate access to water had been a great source of worry to the school.

She said, “With the provision of the water, the female students, in particular, will be able to maintain good personal hygiene during their menstrual period, which will boost their confidence and prevent them from skipping classes.”

The Headmistress of the school, Mercy Babachuweh, said the undue pressure on the two existing boreholes resulted in constant breakdowns of the pumping machines, causing huge costs to the school.

She said that with the provision of the new boreholes, students now spent less time searching for water, which will ultimately result in more contact hours for teaching and learning, hence improvement in the academic performance of students.

While commending GRIDCO for the support, she called for the strengthening of the relationship between the two institutions in the future for their mutual benefit.

Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh