Ghana:
Community borehole

Access to safe water is the most fundamental need for health and well-being. To provide a safe and sustainable water source for Nambong Village in Ghana, Mount Zion Welfare Organization received funding to drill five solar-powered boreholes. Two boreholes are located near a cluster of five schools, and three boreholes are located in the community near markets, farms, and hand-washing and sanitation facilities. Previously, the village’s only water source was polluted and dried up during the summer months. This project provided a safe and sustainable water source to 25,755 people who live in the community and reduced the high rates of water-related illnesses by over 95%.

The organization also implemented many hygiene and sanitation education activities to inform the public about water-related illnesses and prevention methods. Some activities included training programs, quiz competitions, school health clubs, and drama presentations about hygiene and sanitation topics.

In addition to improving the overall health of the community, this project had many additional positive impacts. Implementing this project has saved community members valuable time, as the time to collect water has been reduced from 2 hours to 5 minutes. Previously, the burden of collecting water was often placed on women and children. This project has allowed children to spend more time in school and improve their academic grades. The school gardens have also been restarted and provide a fun activity for students to learn about farming and healthy eating. Further, the new water source revived many water-dependent businesses including fish and vegetable farming, pottery making, and livestock breeding. This project also positively impacted the environment, as using solar-power is a sustainable alternative to diesel and surrounding wetlands no longer have to be drained to access water.

In total, this project contributed to eight Sustainable Development Goals. To create an even larger impact, Mount Zion Welfare Organization is actively sharing their experiences and lessons learned to help implement similar projects in surrounding communities.