When We Approached the Dry Lands: Major Challenges in Bringing Water
When our technical team arrived in the north of Ghana, particularly around Tamale, we saw things in some of the villages that were deeply disturbing to us. In the burning heat, the soil had cracked. The rivers that used to sustain the towns and the people were no longer heard of. The rains had become unpredictable and so the farmers were not sure of crops from their labours and the families of the affected lands did not know where they could get a fresh supply of water. The people in these spots were fighting a daily battle for their existance.
It was some years back that the government had offered redress in the “One Village, One Dam” project to provide water and several other amenities for every village but the number of schemes that materialised could be counted on one hand. In a number of the villages where there were dams, the water was untreated and dirty and polluted, and there was nowhere else for them to get anything that was fit for drinking or using daily.
Although we worked outside of the government scheme, @mcsamm and I through Hive's help were determined to get down to serious action. We concentrated on the supply of clean water, by means of boreholes which we have built several of them of now. Boreholes as opposed to untreated dams do supply a sure and clean source of drinking water necessary to the communities concerned.
But things have not been too easy. The villages in the north is mostly arid and rocky and it is not too easy to sink boreholes. Some districts had no functional wells and other places had boreholes which had been inoperative for a number of years. But when we arrived at several places reported by the communities, we were told that their boreholes were inoperative and that they were completely dependent on polluted water sources.
We decided to step in to help anyway irrespective of the challenges. After the construction, some of the communities told us about some of the boreholes that developed faults, we have since, repaired them, so that clean water is again supplied to the families that had been deprived of it for so long. The joy and appreciation clearly shown in their eyes were worth all the effort put into it.
But we aim to go much further than that. Boreholes require constant looking after, and monitoring as well as maintenance and technical assistance in order to keep them working. We have already started working alongside the community representatives to see that proper care and attention are paid to the boreholes, but there are still some of the villages whose boreholes may need some maintenance, that is, the ones which are beyond the scope of the community.
So as to perpetuate what we have done, and be able to be respond quickly should there be new developments, we still continue to ask for assistance. Also we hope that we may be able to get the funds for new boreholes to some of the people from the villages that have reached out to us, particularly in regard to about three of them of whose situation is much more urgent.
We are still grateful to everyone who supports us in this work particularly to @valueplan without whose great efforts, we would not be able to carry on with these projects, and likewise to many other Hivers who have supported us from day one. Your support and goodwill towards the project means a lot, not only to us, but to many others. Together we are showing to the world that even in the dryest parts of Ghana, humane effort can bring hope to life.