SNV commissions solar powered water facility for Ko

SNV-Ghana, an international nongovernmental organisation, has commissioned a water project to provide over 2,000 gallons of water daily to residents of Ko in the Nandom Municipality in the Upper West Region.

The solar-powered water facility was constructed under the Healthy Future for All (HF4A) project of SNV, which was funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust.

The project is a great relief to the residents who hitherto had difficulty accessing water due to the low-yielding of the boreholes as a result of the topography of the area.

WASH

Handing over the facility to the community, the Country Director of SNV Ghana and Nigeria, Barbara White Nkoala, said together with the District Works Department, SNV has constructed a total of 21 powered water systems for both the Nandom and Lambussie districts.

So far, she said, 12 have been handed over to the beneficiary communities and the last nine are in the process of being handed over.

Ms Nkoala said SNV was committed to strengthening capacities and building partnerships to transform water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in the Nandom and Lambussie districts to improve the living conditions of the people.

The solar powered water system

The Upper West Regional Extension Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), Cletus Bapuogyang, said through collaborative effort between the Government of Ghana, SNV, and other development partners, CWSA was gradually bridging the gap in rural water coverage, which was 76.16 per cent as at last December.

By this achievement, he said Ghana was getting closer to realising Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6), which “is to ensure clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.”

The residents of Ko were grateful to SNV and partners for the life-changing project which they said would bring great relief to them.

They said most of the days were spent in search of water as they had to trek long distances in search of water thus making it difficult for them to engage in any meaningful economic activity.

A resident, Gladys Siepaar, said: “We no longer have to trek miles or spend hours fetching water, our children can focus on their studies, and we can engage in economic activities.”

The Deputy Director of the Water Directorate of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Josephine Manu, said clean water was very critical for maintaining a healthy body.

As such, she said, “Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are crucial to human health and well-being."

On behalf of the people of Ko and other beneficiary communities, the Upper West Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, extended the government’s appreciation to SNV for coming to the assistance of the people.

He urged residents to properly maintain the facility such that generations after could also benefit from it.