Wawa (NR), July 24, GNA - The Catholic Relief Services (CRS), a Christian NGO working to improve the quality of life of the poor, has drilled 40 boreholes in 40 rural communities in two districts at a cost of GH¢280,000.

The organisation provided the boreholes in the East Mamprusi and the Bunkprugu/Yunyoo districts within a period of four years. Twenty of the boreholes and other improved sanitation facilities in the districts were funded by philanthropists from the city of Seattle in USA whose interests are to help fight water borne diseases in Ghana. Mr Thomas Awiapo, Global Solidarity Coordinator of the CRS announced this in Wawa, a rural community in the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo district when he commissioned six out of the 20 boreholes financed by the Seattle group.

He said CRS had in the past five years integrated the provision of potable water into its programmes due to the suffering of school children and women in remote communities. Mr Awiapo gave the assurance that CRS would collaborate with its development partners such as people of Seattle and the Buffett Foundation to assist more communities with potable water. He said the need for such an intervention was premised on the recognition of three fundamental problems in water and sanitation delivery that affected the livelihoods of rural communities in its operational districts.

The problems, Mr Awiapo, mentioned were inadequate access to potable water and sanitation facilities, poor hygiene and environmental practices and poor community management of water resources. He said children could now attend school regularly because of the borehole facilities, which were now closer to them. Hitherto community members had to travel long distances in search of water. He said to expand the provision of water to more rural communities CRS was collaborating with CARE, an NGO to implement another water and sanitation project in the Lawra and the Nadowli districts in the Upper West Region.

He said the project, which would be funded by the Buffett Foundation in USA, would enable the Global Water Initiative to adequately address issues of water, sanitation, environment and climate change with emphasis on community management. Madam Jan Kline, leader of the Seattle group, who witnessed the commissioning ceremony of the boreholes, stressed the importance of Christian sharing with the poor and commended CRS for implementing the project and assured of them of more assistance.

She advised community members to enrol more girls in school because it was more advantageous and profitable to that. Madam Kline called for effective monitoring of the facilities so as to guarantee their sustainability. 24 July 09