Ecobank Ghana, as part of its corporate social responsibility, yesterday presented a solar-powered mechanized borehole and a refurbished maternal maternity ward to the chiefs and people of Kojo Ashong, a community in the Ga West Municipality.

Ecobank Ghana collaborated with the John Agyekum Kufuor (JAK) Foundation, project implementers, to bring the project into fruition.

George Mensah, an official from Ecobank Ghana, who spoke on behalf of Samuel Ashitey Adjei, CEO of Ecobank Ghana, in a speech, said there was an urgent need for Ghana’s private sector to support deprived communities in order to make life comfortable for residents.

He said Ecobank Ghana believed that switching to renewable energy always ensured energy efficiency, hence his outfit’s partnership with the Energy Foundation to create and ensure sustainable power projects since 2012.

He stated that Ecobank Ghana was financing the establishment of 18 streetlight projects across selected rural communities in Ghana.

Former President J.A Kufuor, in a speech, expressed gratitude to Ecobank for its good corporate relationship. “Due to the lack of potable water sources in this community, my foundation decided to assist residents of Kojo Ashong to reduce the prevalence of water-borne diseases.”

He called on other social entities to emulate the fruitful collaboration between Ecobank Ghana and the JAK Foundation to help disadvantaged communities in Ghana. He also appealed to members of the community to take good care of the facilities for prolonged use and improvement of their lives.

Samuel Attuquaye Quaye, Chief Executive of the Ga West Municipal Assembly, in a remark, said the municipality’s water supply system was only 27 percent complete.

“People trek for long distances to access water from unhygienic water sources. “There won’t be blackouts for this community anymore with the solar panels built while also there would be a reduction in maternal mortality with the refurbishment of the maternity ward.”

He also commended Prof Baffour Agyemang Duah, Executive Director of JAK foundation, for assisting in the commissioning of the facilities.

He announced that members of the community would have to pay a token into a fund to be created to help maintain the facility.

The solar-powered project would need virtually no maintenance over the next 25 years.