By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Gowrie (U/E), June 12, GNA – A-ensonga Hearts, a non-governmental organisation, has handed over a mechanised borehole to the Gowrie community in the Bongo District to serve the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound and Gowrie Kindergarten School.
The project, which includes a mechanised borehole, an elevated water storage facility (Polytank) and a distribution system, is expected to benefit healthcare workers, patients, pregnant women, schoolchildren and residents of the community.
It is expected to significantly contribute to addressing the long-standing struggle for potable water and improve access to safe drinking water for schoolchildren, while enhancing healthcare delivery at the health facility.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, Ms Kenndicta A-ensonga Ajene, Founder and Executive Director of A-ensonga Hearts, said the intervention was initiated after a needs assessment revealed severe water challenges facing both the kindergarten and the CHPS compound.
She explained that the organisation had initially planned to construct a hand-pump borehole for the kindergarten but later revised the project after discovering that the young children would be unable to operate the pump and that the nearby CHPS compound was also struggling with access to water.
“We realised that pregnant women came to the facility to deliver, yet nurses often had to search for water from outside the facility. In some cases, women who had just delivered had to carry soiled bed sheets home to wash because there was no water available at the facility,” she said.
Ms Ajene said the organisation subsequently decided to construct a mechanised borehole capable of serving both facilities, although the expanded scope significantly increased the project’s cost.
To support the project, she said A-ensonga Hearts sought corporate sponsorship for a water storage tank and commended Polytank Ghana for donating a 10,000-litre water storage tank to support the initiative.
She noted that the successful completion of the project marked the seventh borehole constructed by A-ensonga Hearts across the Upper East and North East regions under its potable water initiative.
Ms Ajene commended the people of Gowrie for their commitment to the project, noting that community members voluntarily provided labour, including digging, mixing concrete and supporting other construction activities.
“The level of community participation was remarkable. The people demonstrated a strong sense of ownership and commitment to ensuring the success of the project,” she said.
She commended Ms Linda Mba, the In-Charge of the CHPS Compound, for her support and urged community members, staff of the CHPS compound and school authorities to maintain the facility properly to ensure its sustainability and long-term benefits.
Ms Esther Abazesi, the Bongo District Director of the Ghana Health Service, commended A-ensonga Hearts for supporting efforts to improve access to water at the health facility, adding that it would enhance infection prevention and control practices among healthcare workers.
The event was attended by traditional authorities, community leaders, the Assembly Member, health workers, teachers and residents, who expressed appreciation to A-ensonga Hearts and its partners for addressing a critical need in the community.
Community members described the project as life-changing, saying it would reduce the burden of searching for water and improve conditions at the health facility, particularly for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Mr James Akuribila Nyaaba, the Assembly Member for the Gowrie Electoral Area, said the water facility was timely and would help improve sanitation and healthcare delivery at the CHPS compound while ensuring that pupils of the kindergarten had uninterrupted access to safe drinking water.
As a sign of appreciation, residents, led by their Chief, Naba Atongo Cletus Aduko, presented a citation to Ms Ajene in recognition of her contribution to the community.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Email: [email protected]