A 2.9-billion cedi water project for Buduburam

Accra, April 20, GNA - A 2.9-billion cedi water project is underway to solve the perennial water problem facing refugees in the Buduburam Settlement and the surrounding community. The project being undertaken by Pointhope, a non-governmental organization, would enable about 50,000 people living in the community to have access to water.

Currently, the inhabitants of the settlement had to rely on wells and water tanker services.

Mr. Kwesi Anno-Atua, Project Manager of World Vision, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency after the inauguration of a nine-member Advisory Board of Pointhope Ghana, said they had already ordered for the overhead tanks required for the project. The organization, he said, was collaborating with the Ghana Water Company to install overhead tanks, build a booster station and lay pipes to connect water from the GWCL line running along the main road through Buduburam to the overhead tank for distribution.

Mr Chris Amuzu-Addo, Project Coordinator, Pointhope Ghana said the water project was a major challenge, adding that a previous arrangement to provide the community from wells drilled by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) proved futile after test results revealed that the water was too saline for domestic use.

He said it was the vision of Pointhope to create a healthy, loving community for every child hence the partnership with World Vision to work towards the upliftment of life in the settlement. The two organisations have built play and recreation facilities at the settlement for the use of both adults and children and also instituted a feeding project for malnourished children as well as offered nine persons with wheel chairs, among others. Besides Pointhope is currently constructing a dam to sustain a farming project for refugees, which is being threatened by reliance on rainfed agriculture

Mr. Amuzu-Addo said plans are also underway to run skills training programmes for refugees, adding that extensive contacts had been made with the National Vocational Training Institute for supervision of the one-year skills course that would lead to the presentation of a STEP certificate.

Reverend Dr T.B. Dankwah, Chairman of the Advisory Council, World Vision, who inaugurated the Board asked the members to live by the tenets of accountability, transparency and profitability to enable people in the community to derive maximum benefit. He advised them to avoid taking over the management of the organization, saying their role was to work towards the attainment of the overall goals.

Mrs Mary Dei-Awuku, Deputy Director, Ministry of Manpower, Employment and Youth, said the government would work with genuine NGOs to better the lives of the vulnerable in society. 20 April 06