Harvard students provide borehole

Aburi (ER), Sept. 10, GNA - The Harvard Black Men's Forum (BMF) on Tuesday commissioned a borehole under its African Development Initiative (ADI) for the people of Agyemanti in the Eastern Region and its surrounding villages to promote proper hygiene and sanitation. The ADI enables undergraduate students from Harvard University to collaborate with NGOs, African governments and international development groups to create sustainable development projects. Mr Sangu Delle, President of BMF, said the borehole was to address the problem in Agyemanti where a large portion of the population had no access to safe water.

He said the project was sustainable and holistic as BMF would empower the people through health education and development of the necessary financial tools to maintain the borehole. The Project which was supported by Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African American Research and other anonymous donors would also benefit surrounding villages of Adenkrabi, Ayim, Kitase and Amoakrom.

Mr Delle added that the group saw the need for students to interact with people in the communities, especially Africa, in order to bring much needed attention to those lacking life's basic necessities. Mr Darryl Finkton, Community Service Chair, BMF, said the project was about increasing capabilities and removing barriers in creative and sustainable ways rather than providing a never ending stream of financial resources.

He stated that the project focused on people, not numbers, as they wanted to emphasize changes on a more personal level and employ their version of creative capitalism. "Initiatives like this encourage action by exemplifying the difference students can make not only in their communities, but in the world."