Water is a basic necessity of
life. Yet millions of people living in developing countries lack access to
portable water. In Ghana, access to safe water remains one of the critical
problems confronting rural communities. Information gathered from the Community
Water and Sanitation Authority (CWSA) of Ghana indicates that at the end of
2008, only 48 percent of Ghana’s rural population was adequately supplied with
clean safe water (Kokutse, 2009). Diseases from unsafe water such as diarrhea,
dysentery and guinea worm kill more people
every year than all forms of violence. The World Health
Organistion (WHO) reports that over 3.6% of the global disease burden can be
prevented by improving water supply. It is against this background that ENA is partnering with
communities to provide safe drinking water
to thousands of people living in Ghana.
Nkwatia is a village in the Kwahu East district in the Easter Region of Ghana with a population of 1000. The area is surrounded by beautiful ridges and
picturesque caves and escarpments. It has a serene atmosphere due to its
altitude. There are a number of water falls also in this community yet
inhabitants of Nkwatia lack access to clean and safe water. The hilly nature of
the community makes it very difficult for people to enjoy pipe borne water.
For decades the people of Nkwatia
have been depending on Omankyene river
as their main source of water for drinking and
other domestic purposes. This source of water is unhygienic and has a
negative impact on the activities of the community members especially women and
children. Many of them complained of
various forms of skin diseases, diarrhea and other water borne related
diseases.
Main source of water for Nkwatia community before
intervention by ENA.
ENA working in alliance with the
Nkwatia Development Foundation and the inhabitants of the community provided a
mechanized borehole.
Drilling of borehole
Mechanized
borehole with overhead storage tanks
Stakeholders
The availability of safe drinking
water is expected to improve the health condition of the people in this area.
