A well for Lyssah - Improvement of the drinking water supply in northwestern Ghana

The people of northwestern Ghana, near the border with Burkina Faso – one of the poorest countries in the world – lack almost everything.

Only a few villages here are connected to the shaky power grid. But much more dramatic is the lack of clean drinking water.

The water supply from the adjacent rivers has become more and more of a challenge in recent years, as the dry seasons are getting longer and there is no rainfall.

At the same time, clean water is essential to life. Many Ghanaians get the water they need from muddy streams or ponds.

The consequences are sometimes devastating diseases caused by the polluted water. Children in particular are often affected - they contract cholera, which often leads to death. In addition to this, typhus and bilharziasis are occurring frequently.

Traditionally, the women are responsible for fetching water, but sometimes, teenagers are supporting them as well, as can be seen in the picture. They often have to walk miles to a remote watering hole in the bush. The water is then carried home in large buckets or canisters on the head.

Since there is a lack of financial resources for the construction of wells, many villagers have no choice but to flee south or to larger cities.

With the following well project, our Ghana association would like to alleviate the misery and enable a good 500 residents of the surrounding villages to have a safe supply of drinking water.

The project came about through our association member Aron Bock, who traveled to the region in December 2022 and carried the urgent call for help from the local population to Germany.

   Boys Carrying Water On Head 1600 1200
     

The project is supported by the local project family Dayouri.

Maintenance is ensured by Educational Officer Philip Tankuu, pictured to the right.

Mr. Tankuu will receive training over the next 2 months in order to be able to do justice to this important task in the long term.

  Philip Tankuu   Educational Officer   Responsible For The Well In Lyssah 592 1024 
     

To ensure that the well will supply really clean water and can also be used in summer, up to 85 meters deep boreholes are necessary, for which a special drilling crane and appropriately trained well diggers are required.

The cost estimate sees an investment requirement in the amount of approx. €3,200.

First, an inexpensive hand pump is supposed to pump the water to the surface.
Our association club has already collected almost half of the sum.

A fully mechanized version with a solar-powered low-level pump and high-level storage tank would cost around €10,000.

We would be very glad for your support to ensure that the local people have access to clean drinking water.

   

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