Project Maji, VRA provides water facility to Korankyi village

Project Maji in partnership with the Volta River Authority (VRA) has handover a solar-powered mechanized borehole water facility to the people of Korankyi, a village near the Akosombo dam in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.

The village which has a population of 250 inhabitants do not have access to potable water for the past 57 years and the only source of water for them has been the water from the Akosombo Dam.

Project Maji has been serving rural communities that are in need of water since 2015 across the country. The organization is expected to provide additional 25 solar-powered mechanized borehole water facility in some communities between September and October, this year.

Project Maji’s proprietary technology allows them to set up a fully functioning, high capacity solar powered water that offers greater capacity and reliability and multiple dispensing taps to ensure the community does not have to form long queues while waiting for water. This allows children to fetch water efficiently and attend school on time.

Information gathered indicates that because the people depend on the water in Akosombo Dam, about 80% of the people in the village have being infected with the urinary type of schistosomiasis (bilharzias).

The facility from Project Maji provides reliable and sustainable water supply to the people.

Handing over the project to the people of Korankyi, the Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Hon. Michael Yaw Gyato who is also the Member of Parliament for Krachi East asked the District Chief Executive Officer (DCE) of Asuogyaman District Assembly to immediate work on the access road that lead to the village.

He mentioned that constructing the road will improve the lives of the people especially going to Mpakadan, the nearest town to do their businesses and other activities. “We cannot neglect the people in this area for them to suffer,” he added.

He urged the people of Korankyi to use the water from the borehole and stop fetching water from the Akosombo Dam. “This water that has been provided for you is the best and safe than the one in the dam. Please use it to avoid any infections,” he cautioned.

The DCE of Asuogyaman District, Mr. Samuel Agyekum said the bilharzias disease has affect close to 300 communities in the district. “We will need a lot these projects in the district to prevent the spread of the disease,” he noted.

The Volta River Authority funded this project at the cost of close to GHc50,000. The Korankyi project is the third project funded by VRA to some deprived communities around the Akosombo Dam.

The Deputy Director of General Services at the VRA, Madam Sherry Habiba Seidu said the facility will provide potable water for the community and more importantly prevent the folks from using the water from the river (dam) as their main source of water.

“We believe as our mothers and children use the clean water, the incidence of bilharzias will drastically reduce,” she stated.

According to her, good and clean water is essential for all forms of life and VRA will do everything possible to ensure that communities such as Korankyi not deprived of the essentials things in life.

“VRA will continue to fight the disease menace through our holistic interventions such as mass drug administration in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, provision of sanitation and water facilities and community sensitization,” said Madam Seidu.

Mr. Venu Babu, the leader of Project Maji said it is the plan of the organization to provide portable water to many deprived communities in the country. He mentioned that for the past years they have supported a lot of villages with this kind of project and it has been of benefit to all the communities they have visited. “Our technologies are the best and of high standard,” he added.

The Assemblyman for the Mpakadan Electoral Area, Hon. Emmanuel Obani said they need access road from the village to Mpakadan and also a kindergarten for the kids at the village.

The solar-powered mechanized borehole water facility is about 400 meter dip and the technology is monitored at a central point in Accra.

Two people from the Korankyi village were selected to be trained to provide maintenance to the facility.