Water Aid, Unilever provide water, lavatory in Birim North
Water Aid Ghana and the Uniliver Ghana Foundation have provided water and sanitation facilities to three deprived communities in the Birim North District.
The communities are Adausena, Nyamebekyere and Pankese, each of which received 10,000 gallons mechanized water system, a mechanized borehole and a 10-seater place of convenience.
Inaugurating the projects at the respective communities on Tuesday, Dr Afia Zakiya, Country Representative of Water Aid Ghana, said the nation was performing poorly in achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for sanitation.
She said though the country was doing well in the area of water supply, there were still many deprived communities that did not have potable water.
Dr Zakiya said as an organization, Water Aid Ghana was keen to ensuring that deprived communities in the country had good drinking water, sanitation facilities with members practicing good personal and environmental hygiene.
Mr Andrew Evans Quayson, Chairman of the Uniliver Ghana Foundation, explained that his outfit’s support in the funding of the projects was in line with its plan to ensure sustainable quality living for the deprived people in the country.
He pledged the foundation’s continuous support to bring development to the doorsteps of the poor.
The two partnering organizations trained a team who would manage water and sanitation issues and also operate and maintain the facilities effectively in the three communities.
They also formed hygiene clubs in the various basic schools in the communities which would make the pupils ambassadors of good hygiene.
Unilever foundation donated cartons of Lifebuoy soap to the schools in order to encourage hand washing among the pupils.
Nana Dr Boni Abankro, Chief of Adausena, on behalf of his people expressed gratitude to the two organizations for the relief done them.
He disclosed that his people, hitherto, drew water from an unhygienic stream which served as their only source of water in the community.
According to him, most of his people contracted guinea worm disease, typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery and some other water borne diseases as a result.
Nana Dr Abankro said that the only bore hole in the area had also broken down for years adding that “for these reasons, the facility has come as a relief to my people.”
Mrs Anna Mensah, an Assistant Director at the Birim North District, thanked the two organizations for their kind gesture and urged the water and sanitation team to frequently monitor the facilities to ensure that they are properly maintained.
Source: GNA