Safe water for children and families in Ghana

The completion of this intervention has brought a lot of joy and excitement in the lives of the beneficiaries and their families, the volunteer cooks at the centre and the community members at large. It has significantly freed the beneficiaries from trekking long distances in search of water. This has helped them to attend meetings at the centre and school on time, so they are able to participate effectively during lessons. The volunteer cooks can now access potable water without travelling far. As a result, beneficiaries’ meals are served on time, which has enabled curriculum lessons to be carried out effectively. The beneficiaries can now wash their hands properly and observe personal hygiene through the education that was conducted for them.

Since the completion of this intervention, access to potable water has improved in the community for the beneficiaries, their households, the church and the community. Community members have stopped accessing water from the stream and dug-out wells that exposed them to diseases, which will go a long way to improving their health. The issue of lateness of beneficiaries to scheduled activities at the centre has been addressed through this intervention. This will enable the centre to implement its programs towards attaining the developmental outcomes. Through health and hygiene education, caregivers can properly manage their homes to avoid sanitation-related illnesses among their families.

Now the centre is able to serve the beneficiaries without having difficulty in getting access to potable water. The previous situation, where we depended on water from streams and dug-out wells for cooking and cleaning on meeting days, is now a thing of the past. Additionally, the water provision through this intervention has increased the punctuality of the beneficiaries to meetings as they don’t waste hours moving about in search of water. Beneficiaries now attend devotions and Bible studies on time, making it easier to minister to them. Previously, meals were not served on time due to the water problem, but this problem has been addressed.

It is my prayer that the good Lord blesses you, who provided the financial support for the borehole. We assure you that the facility will be put to good use to benefit our children, caregivers and the entire Akyeamfour community.

Before this intervention, my friends and I used to walk very far to fetch water from the stream. Because of that, we had to wake up early in the morning to go and fetch water before going to school. As a result, I always got to school late. Because I was tired, I usually slept in class when lessons were going on. I didn’t also know the importance of good hygiene or how to properly keep my body and environment clean.

My life has changed since the completion of the borehole. Now, I go to school early and I am no longer late. Because I now get enough sleep, I am always active in class. I am able to do my assignments and have enough time to study after school without worrying about going to fetch water from the stream. In addition, this intervention has helped me to learn how to properly wash my hands through the personal hygiene education that was given to us.

Now, I will no longer struggle in search of clean water as I used to do. I will also be punctual to meetings at the centre to improve my knowledge.

This intervention has benefited me so much because I have learned the importance of clean water and what it means to our community. I have been educated on personal hygiene and good sanitation practices. I learned how to ensure personal hygiene by washing my hands properly whenever I visit the toilet to avoid germs and diseases like cholera.

I want to thank you for giving us this borehole. I pray that God will bless you and grant you long life, good health and prosperity.

Because of your kindness, 393 children and their families—a total of 1,599 people—now have access to safe water. Caregivers can rest easy knowing that their children are no longer at risk of deadly waterborne illnesses and that their health and well-being are far more secure. They are so grateful and express how much of a difference this has made in their lives already.

Now that water can be easily accessed within the community, women and children will not be spending hours of their day trekking long distances. Children can focus in school and attend activities at their Compassion centre without disruption. Women will have more time and energy to work, so they can increase their income and help support their families.

Church leaders and staff are grateful, too. Now they have access to safe water for cooking and cleaning, so they can continue offering their programming without putting children’s safety at risk. Because children are able to get to the centre on time, activities can run much more effectively. This is a great encouragement for our hardworking tutors, who have dedicated themselves to seeing children set free from poverty to reach their full potential. Both centres report that regular hand washing has now become commonplace, especially in the wake of COVID-19.

This intervention has been a wonderful testimony to local leaders and community members of God’s love and provision at work through the church. As these churches continue to reach more families living in poverty, countless lives will be changed. Thank you for showing Jesus’ love to these communities in Ghana!