Bawku (U/E) Oct. 31, GNA-The Bawku Senior High School Old Students Association (BOSA) has constructed a mechanised borehole fitted with four overhead tanks for its alma mater, to solve decades of perennial water crisis in the school.
The project, which would permanently solve the water crisis in the school, was executed by the Accra and Bolgatanga branches of BOSA at a cost of GHS 83,000.00.
The perennial water crisis was part of five major challenges of the Bawku SHS which lasted for over 40 years, and sometimes compelled management of the school to purchase water for the preparation of meals for students.
Sheikh Abdallah Otito Achuliwor, the National Vice President of BOSA in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-line of the climax of the Third Homecoming and Congress of BOSA, said “The water problem in the school dates back to over 50 years when we were even here as students.
“The school taps were not flowing regularly, and we had to go to the dam to fetch water for our seniors, ourselves and for the kitchen. After we left many years ago, we noticed that the water situation was still a problem for the school.”
He said BOSA took it upon itself to permanently solve the water crisis in the school, “We decided to contribute to solve the problem. Since we suffered the water crisis, we should not allow the present students to suffer the same problem which affects the academic activities.”
Sheikh Achuliwor said from 2016 till date, BOSA had constructed four boreholes for the school with the intention to mechanise them, unfortunately, they dried up, and attempts to get the Ghana Water Company to connect water to the school yielded no results.
“So when we started planning this Homecoming event two years ago, we made a promise to ourselves that we must solve this water problem once and for all,” the National Vice President said.
He said upon a fifth trial after the previous boreholes dried up, they succeeded in hitting water when they drilled, and with the support of the Accra and Bolgatanga branches of BOSA, huge water tanks and pipes were provided to facilitate the water mechanisation system for the school.
“For us, as BOSA, we are proud to have solved this water problem on our own without any external support,” the BOSA National Vice President said.
He also expressed gratitude to members of BOSA for the gesture and contributions to the development of their alma mater over the years, and further urged them to continue to support the school to create conductive environment to propel academic excellence.
Apart from the water project, the 1975 year group of BOSA also presented a tricycle to the school to assist the kitchen staff with their daily activities, while several projects were also undertaken by individual Old Students and year groups.
Reverend Sylvester Agalga, the Headmaster of the Bawku SHS reiterated the challenges the water crisis posed on academic activities, “Many stakeholders have come in to assist to drill a number of boreholes, yet we did not hit water. It was quite disturbing.”
He said with the intervention of the Old Students of the school, both staff and students were happy with the gesture and thanked BOSA for the initiative.
GNA