Gowrie: A-ensonga Hearts, a non-governmental organisation, has handed over a mechanised borehole to the Gowrie community in the Bongo District to serve the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound and Gowrie Kindergarten School. The project, which includes a mechanised borehole, an elevated water storage facility (Polytank), and a distribution system, is expected to benefit healthcare workers, patients, pregnant women, schoolchildren, and residents of the community.
According to Ghana News Agency, the intervention was initiated after a needs assessment revealed severe water challenges facing both the kindergarten and the CHPS compound. Ms Kenndicta A-ensonga Ajene, Founder and Executive Director of A-ensonga Hearts, explained that the organisation had initially planned to construct a hand-pump borehole for the kindergarten. However, after discovering that the young children would be unable to operate the pump and that the nearby CHPS compound was also struggling with access to water, the project was revised.
Ms Ajene highlighted that pregnant women often came to the facility to deliver, yet nurses had to search for water from outside the facility. In some instances, women who had just delivered had to carry soiled bed sheets home to wash due to the lack of water at the facility. As a result, A-ensonga Hearts decided to construct a mechanised borehole capable of serving both facilities, despite the increased project cost.
To support the project, A-ensonga Hearts sought corporate sponsorship for a water storage tank and commended Polytank Ghana for donating a 10,000-litre water storage tank. The successful completion of the project marked the seventh borehole constructed by A-ensonga Hearts across the Upper East and North East regions under its potable water initiative.
Ms Ajene praised the people of Gowrie for their commitment to the project, noting that community members voluntarily provided labour, including digging, mixing concrete, and supporting other construction activities. She also commended Ms Linda Mba, the In-Charge of the CHPS Compound, for her support and urged community members, staff of the CHPS compound, and school authorities to maintain the facility properly.
Ms Esther Abazesi, the Bongo District Director of the Ghana Health Service, commended A-ensonga Hearts for supporting efforts to improve access to water at the health facility, emphasizing that it would enhance infection prevention and control practices among healthcare workers.
The event was attended by traditional authorities, community leaders, the Assembly Member, health workers, teachers, and residents, who expressed appreciation to A-ensonga Hearts and its partners. Community members described the project as life-changing, highlighting its potential to reduce the burden of searching for water and improve conditions at the health facility, particularly for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Mr James Akuribila Nyaaba, the Assembly Member for the Gowrie Electoral Area, stated that the water facility was timely and would help improve sanitation and healthcare delivery at the CHPS compound while ensuring that pupils of the kindergarten had uninterrupted access to safe drinking water. As a gesture of appreciation, residents, led by their Chief, Naba Atongo Cletus Aduko, presented a citation to Ms Ajene in recognition of her contribution to the community.