Two mechanized boreholes have been donated to the Navrongo Senior High School (NAVASCO) in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region by the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), Operator of the National Transmission supply, to improve the school’s water supply.
This came as a relief to staff and students in the school from their daily struggle for potable water.
The construction of the facilities which was started late 2022 under the GRIDCo’s Education Support Initiative and valued at GH₵100,000.00 have reservoir tanks with taps connected to the dormitories of the students and other major areas.
At a handing over ceremony at Navrongo, Ms. Dzifa Bampoh, Manager, Corporate Communications, GRIDCo, said the support was part of one of the core values of the company in supporting stakeholders in its operational areas.
“It is also in line with GRIDCo’s Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals particularly goal six, to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” she said.
Ms. Bampoh said access to water was critical in fighting critical infections and diseases, especially as the country was recovering from COVID-19, which puts emphasis on the need to practice good hygiene and washing protocols.
She said due to increasing challenges of climate change, water was becoming scarce especially in Northern Ghana and advised the management and students at the school to ensure maintenance of the facilities.
Ms. Mercy Babachuweh, the Headmistress of the school, expressed gratitude to GRIDCo for the intervention and said the support came at the right time.
She said before the intervention, the school had only two mechanised boreholes and four manual ones which were serving 2,034 students and 78 staff staying on campus, adding that this situation was putting lots of pressure on the boreholes leading to constant breakdown and increasing financial loss to the school.
She said this also affects contact hours as many students have to move out of the campus in search of water.
“And so, the provision of these two mechanised boreholes to the school is very timely. They are serving six dormitory blocks, that is, one borehole to three dormitory blocks. Students now spend less time searching for water. This will ultimately result in more contact hours for teaching and learning, hence, academic excellence, good personal hygiene and a disciplined student body,” she said.
The Headmistress, however, appealed for more support to renovate and expand the school’s dining hall which has limited space and is in a dilapidated state with the roof leaking anytime it rains.
GRIDCo mechanised boreholes Navrongo SHS
Ms. Alice Ellen Abeere-Inga, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Director of the Ghana Education Service, expressed optimism that the facilities would improve sanitation practices especially good hygiene among girls during their menstrual periods and advised the management and students to ensure that the facilities last to serve the purpose for which they were provided.
Mr Simon Anyoka Nyaaba, the Senior Prefect of the school said due to difficulty in getting water on campus, some students took advantage of the situation to move out of the school to engage in unproductive ventures.
He said the academic work would improve as a result of the support from GRIDCo and thanked them for the kind gesture.