Would you believe me if I told you this was the main source of drinking water for the people of Akuful Krodua?

There are two separate mud paths that lead to the watering hole. From a distance the tranquilizing sound of the spring announces its presence beyond the lush greenery that creates a cool atmosphere. The water is still, stagnant and the only disturbance is provided by the small tadpoles that share the water the people.

In Akufful Krodua, many people believe that because the water is surrounded by trees and greenery, this provides for a natural purification of the water. While some people boil the water before drinking it, many in the community drink directly from the water body without even using aqua tablets to purify the water. Moreover there are no pipes in the community. There is a borehole on the outskirts, but it is salty so it is not drinkable.

Along, with the Project Manager of the Micro-Finance, Emanuel Yamoah and another foreign volunteer, I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with Ms. Helen, the Acting Head Mistress of the Akufful Krodua Roman Catholic School. Ms. Helen stated that the students drink the water and they seem to be fine with drinking it, so she assumes that people in the community are also alright with the water as well. Ms. Helen, lives in Kasoa, a town about an hour away from Akuful Krodua. She told us that she doesn’t even use that water to wash her hands, much less to drink it.

Emmauel Yamoah, who visits the community on a regular basis has been a witness to the boils on the faces of people in the community. In a specific case he noted that a woman’s rice selling business was negatively impacted by the boil on her face that was oozing a yellow puss. Other people seeing her in this condition refused to buy from her. Emanuel believes that a possible cause of these boils could be from the water that the people are drinking.

The Acting Headmistress said a government personnel came to teach the students how to treat the water on one occasion, but since there has been no further to action to educate the students as well as the members of the community on health and sanitation measures.

Patriots Ghana is seeking to start discussions on an initiative to incorporate a health and wellness aspect of the Micro-Finance Project in Akuful Krodua. Some solutions that can be readily implemented includes having health related workshops in schools as well as in the community. The aim of these workshops would be to educate the people on how to ensure that the water they drink is safe for consumption and to inform them of additional steps they can take to prevent illnesses and complications. In the meantime before these workshops are implemented, Patriots Ghana will begin conducting research in the community to best address the issue, and also helping to secure donations of aqua tablets to support this new initiative in Akufful Krodua.

By

Trissanne Keen

Patriots Ghana Intern

Florida State University student

2018 Boren Scholar.