27 COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN GHANA SET UP ?200 MILLION FUND FOR WATER SUPPLY

Twenty-Seven Communities in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions have set up a 200 million-cedi fund fro the provision of water and sanitation for their people. the amount which is the largest community-initiated social fund for water supply and sanitation in the country is the outcome of over two years of partnership between the Association of Water Boards and all the District Assemblies in the three regions. The President of the Association of Water Boards, Mr.. Abukari, disclosed these to newsmen at the Annual Review Meeting of the Association in tamale. He said the Association which comprises 27 independent community-based Water and Sanitation Development Boards in the three regions, was established with the support and approval of the District Assemblies. Mr.. Abukari said as part of a National Strategy on Community Management of Water and Sanitation being co-ordinated by the Community Water and Sanitation Division of the G.W.S.C., the Water Board of each participating community in the Association will be the main body responsible for managing the Community's Water Supply System. According to him, seven communities in the three regions are already managing their Water Supplies fully. They are Saboba, Tinga, Jirapa, Tumu, Nandom, Zebilla and Binaba-Kusanaba. Mr.. Abukari announced that next year, the Association will consolidate its membership by ensuring that all towns with mechanised water supply systems become full members. According to him, the Association is preparing a three-year strategic plan to ensure that all the communities have a sustainable mechanism of their Water Supply Management at the Community Level. The Canadian Team Leader of the G.W.S.C. Assistance Project, Mr.. Wayne Coffin, said the project which began about seven years ago, will come to an end next year. End