Belgium-based Ghanaian association tackles water challenge in Atrama
The staff and pupils of the Nana Boakye Yiadom Karikari I Model Basic School at Atrama in the Afigya Kwabre South District in the Ashanti Region can now finally heave a sigh of relief after years of struggling to access water.
This is due to the installation of a mechanised water system for the school. Previously, pupils, in particular, were forced to walk to the community to fetch water in buckets daily and carry it on their heads back to the school to be used for preparing their meals and other purposes.
To address this problem, the Antwerpen Unity Club, a Ghanaian association based in Belgium, has constructed a mechanised water system for the school, bringing relief to the pupils and teachers.
At a ceremony last Thursday to inaugurate the facility, the Chairman of the Unity Club, David Doku, said the group thought it wise to locate a community with a water challenge and address it.
He noted that, upon scrutiny, they settled on the basic school in the Atrama community because it was not acceptable for the school pupils always to walk long distances to school, carrying water on their heads.
He said the situation was very worrying as the pupils, after going through such a situation every day, would be tired, which would affect their academic performance.
Complement
The District Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), David Akomeah Asokwah, thanked the club for its benevolence towards the school, which would complement the government’s efforts to support its growth.
The newly constructed water system
He advised the community members against the misuse of the facility and urged them to team up with the school's management to jealously guard the project and ensure it stands the test of time.
He said, “I charge the management of the school to keep an eye on the water and facility and maintain it to last longer”.
For his part, the Otumfuo Nkofehene, Nana Boakye Yiadom Karikari I, lauded the club for addressing a pressing need of the school.
He acknowledged that it had taken a lot of sacrifice for them to commit such financial resources to constructing the water project for the school and, therefore, charged the teachers and pupils to take good care of it.
“Taking proper care of this project will encourage other groups and institutions to extend similar support to other areas in need of help as well”, he said.
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