After decades of struggling to access safe drinking water and practicing open defecation, residents of the Kalbeo-Zenga community can now breathe a sigh of relief following the completion of a water and sanitation project by the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club.
The club, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Saskatoon, drilled and mechanized a borehole to supply potable water to the community. The system feeds three overhead tanks strategically located across the community to ensure easy access for residents.
In addition, the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club constructed 40 dual-unit household toilet facilities to help end the long-standing practice of open defecation in the area.
Before the intervention, residents had to walk long distances in search of water for domestic use. The situation often disrupted daily household activities and caused pupils and students to report late to school.
Open defecation was also common in the community, with residents forced to use bushes, rocks, and open spaces due to the lack of toilet facilities.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, a past president of the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club, John Azam, said the project was initiated in 2023 after the club identified Kalbeo-Zenga as one of the communities in need of water and sanitation support.
He explained that earlier attempts by other institutions to drill boreholes in the community had failed, prompting the club to conduct a detailed survey before starting the project.
“We brought hydrologists from Accra to conduct surveys so that we could identify the right locations to drill. Fortunately, when we drilled, we had a lot of water, which we have now mechanized to serve the entire community,” he said.
Mr. Azam said two of the overhead tanks were constructed by the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club, while the community contributed to building the third tank to support agricultural activities.
He also explained that the toilets were designed as dual units for each household to encourage usage by both men and women.
“We learned from previous projects that sometimes men abandon the toilets and continue open defecation. That is why we designed them as dual units so men and women each have their own facility,” he noted.
He appealed to residents to cultivate a strong maintenance culture to ensure the facilities serve the community for many years.
The Assembly Member for the Kalbeo Electoral Area, Sonny Ayariga, expressed gratitude to the Bolgatanga Goodwill Rotary Club for the intervention.
He said several organizations had previously promised to provide water for the community but failed to deliver, making the Rotary Club’s support particularly significant. “They are not even from Kalbeo, yet they chose to support our community. We are very grateful for what they have done for us,” he said.
Mr. Ayariga noted that although the project has brought relief to one part of the community, other clans within Kalbeo still lack access to water and toilet facilities, and appealed for additional support in the future.
A representative of the chief and people of Kalbeo, Godwin Akapire, also commended the Rotary Club and assured them that the community would maintain the facilities.
“We are proud that the Zenga community is now self-sufficient in water and sanitation. We will ensure the facilities are well-maintained so they serve future generations,” he said.
To ensure sustainability of the project, a Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) committee was inaugurated to oversee the maintenance of the borehole system. Each household in the community has also been tasked to keep its toilet facility clean and hygienic. As part of the maintenance arrangement, every resident will contribute 1 cedi monthly to help pay electricity bills for pumping water to the overhead tanks and to cater for repairs in case of breakdowns.
A1 Radio | 101.1Mhz | Joshua Asaah | Kalbeo
