The Koforidua Area of The Church of Pentecost has commissioned a mechanized borehole with two iron removal filters and an overhead polytank storage facility at total cost of Ghc38,844 for Akpo, a farming Community in the Yilo Krobo Municipality in Eastern region.
Akpo and, its surrounding communities never had access to safe water since their existence.
The estimated population of 2000 residents therefore depended on heavily polluted stream for drinking and other domestic uses which resulted in waterborne diseases among the populace.
Few people including nurses and teachers who are able to afford, buy sachet water from Nkurakan township which is about 15km away.
The water stress situation in Akpo community worsens every dry season as the only stream dries up. School children and women in particular queue hours waiting for the stream to replenish to enable them fetch few buckets of water. This mostly results in chaos as they jostle for small quantity of water in the stream.
Attempts made in the past by organizations to drill boreholes in the community hit snags due to difficult hydrogeological challenges. The water crises fueled alarming rural urban migration among the youth who could have stayed in the village to farm for a living.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to Commission the mechanized borehole facility on Thursday December 30,2021 ,the Koforidua Area Head of The Church of Pentecost ,Apostle Samuel Osei Asante explained that ,the water stress situation of Akpo and its surrounding Communities came to the attention of the Koforidua Area Executive Committee of the Church in 2019 during a mid -year meeting when then District Pastor for Huhunya Pastor Kofi Fofie stated in his report to the Area that, members of Akpo local assembly of the church always attended church service very late due to water scarcity .
Apostle S.O Asante said, the Church decided to drill a borehole for the community in line with its vision 2023 which entails impact projects.
He however said, the initial budget estimate for the project increased due to unexpected serious hydrological challenges encountered and damage caused to the borehole drilling equipment.
According to Apostle S.O Asante, a total of Ghc26,644 was spent in putting up the mechanized borehole with overhead polytank.
However, upon recommendation by a hydrologist after testing the water quality, two iron removal filters were purchased and fixed to the water facility increasing the cost to Ghc38,844.
Apostle S.O Asante stated that, despite the expensive cost of the project, the Church is elated residents in Akpo Community and by extension its immediate surrounding communities now have access to potable water.
He said the water facility has adequate underground water capacity to serve the surrounding Communities also struggling to have access to safe water.
“We are yet to consult the hydrologists and the other technical men who worked on it again because the information we have received is that the water they hit is quite a lot and there is a possibility that they can develop it and extend out pipes to other places so that other communities around can have access to water .In fact what we heard was that many people have come and try to drill boreholes but they couldn’t hit water but by the grace of God we came here and we have been able to provide water for the people ” said Apostle S.O Asante
The Koforidua Area Coordinator of Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), Pastor Seth Ofei Badu, who is also Old Estate District Pastor expressed gratitude to God for manifesting His glory in making the electricity powered mechanized borehole project a reality despite the challenges encountered.
He is hopeful the facility would have positive impact on the beneficiary Communities.
Dademankye of Akpo -Bunase Community Alfred Teye Hogah was so excited that he was lost for words when thanking The Church of Pentecost for the water facility.
He said, the intervention by the Church is divine therefore the Community has christened the water project as “Onyame na ay3”, to wit, it is the doing of God.
Some women in the community including a physically challenge recounted their experience in the decades old struggle for water, therefore, excited the mechanized borehole facility will improve accessibility to safe water supply.
A committee was instituted to manage the water facility for longevity.
Present at the ceremony were the Koforidua Area Secretary Pastor Musa Yahaya who is also Resident Minister of PIWC-Koforidua, Pastor Akwasi Amo Afropong -Koforidua District Pastor ,Pastor Michael Fiifi Bortsie ,Koforidua Area PENSA Traveling Secretary ,Huhunya District Pastor ,Koforidua Area Deacon ,Elder Opoku Asare ,Pastor Samuel Yeboah Asare , Koforidua Area Youth Pastor and Pastor Seth Henneh ,Mangoase District Pastor . Also present were Mrs. Elizabeth Osei Asante, Wife of the Koforidua Area Head, Area Women’s leader and some wives of the Pastors present.
END
CREDIT: KOJO ANSAH-FROM KOFORIDUA AREA
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