By Julius K. Satsi, GNA
Fodzoku (VR), Dec. 6, GNA - A field visit to the Fodzoku H2Ome Water Station has shown that the project built in 2016 is still functioning as required, providing improved water for the community.
The Fodzoku H2Ome Water Station, built by the Safe Water Network (SWN), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and partners to assist the community access safe water is sustainably providing safe water for community members.
The SWN and other partners paid a field visit to Fodzoku H2Ome Water Station in the North Tongu District Assembly of the Volta Region, one of the 30 similar stations built as part of the Ghana-Netherland Water Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Programme [GNWP].
Mr Joe Ampadu-Boakye, the Partnership Manager of the GNWP said the system referred to as the Small Water Enterprise (SWE) to provide access to safe, affordable, and reliable water, serving as a complement to conventional water solutions such as hands pumps and utilities.
Describing the system, he said the source of water assessed and managed for sustainability and that the revenue generated from the operations were then used to pay for SWE operations, technical services, capital recovery, and maintenance.
Mr Francis Tetteh Zomasi, the Field Service Entity Manager at the Fodzoku Power Station said the SWE vended a litre of water for 0.005pesewas translating into 10pesewas per an 18litre bucket of which Ghana Water Company charges 50pesweas.
He said there were seven stand pumps in the community with seven ATMs to aid the community in accessing the water from various points and even in their homes, providing water for more than 50 per cent of the 6,000 community members.
Togbe Wugbagba Amewuga, the Paramount Stool Father of the Fodzoku Traditional Area commended the partners involved in the project, saying that, they helped in getting access to improved safe water after 36years of struggling with same.
He asked the blessings of God upon every entity that played a role in ensuring that water reached the Fodzoku Traditional Area and noted that there was the need to extend the project to Afopakope, the community where the water is being sourced.
Togbe Amewuga urged the partners to ensure the ready availability of officers to fix any future problem that might arise with the innovation.
Mr Ron Strikker, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana said it was privilege to see what the money provided in 2015 at the programme’s inception had done adding that there was the need to recognise the other partners in the project including the Mannen Van Staal, Kingdom Water Services Ltd, and more than 13 District Assemblies.
He said it was the desire of the Netherlands that the project would be sustained to continuously provide improved water for the community, urging the community to ensure that they paid their tariffs to help in maintaining the facility.
He said Netherlands was a firm believer of the President Akufo-Addo’s Ghana beyond Aid agenda, which meant that aid was fading out gradually and hence the need to be disciplined in paying for the water to keep it flowing through the pumps.
Mr Richard Collins Arku, the District Chief Executive for the North Tongu District Assembly commended the partners for the gesture as it came to help reduce the number of communities without improved safe water.
He said there a quit a number of communities in the District that do not have access to water urged the partners to consider extending the water project to such communities to prevent them from being exposed to bilharzia and other water-borne diseases.
GNA
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