Access to enough potable water has been a major challenge to the people of Konkuo community and its environs in the Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region.

Residents, especially women have to travel long distances in order to get a basin of water for the house. Whilst this problem affects mostly females whose responsibility it is to supply the home with water, some of the males have taken it upon themselves to assist the females in that regard.

Madam Perpetual narrated to The Spectator the struggle young girls in the community had to go through in order to get water for the house and indicated that it did not allow them enough time to do serious academic work or undertake economic activities like their male counterpart.

In this regard, the Rotary Club of Wa in partnership with the Rotary Club of Windsor in Canada has inaugurated a mechanised water project and water reservoir at a cost of $110,000 for Konkuo Community in the Jirapa Municipality.

The 60 cubic metre capacity concrete water reservoir would supply water to residents of the Konkuo community as well as Jirapa town and would be extended to neighbouring villages.

Addressing the media at Jirapa, Project Director of the Rotary Club of Wa, Mr Stephen Mwinkaara said that pipelines would be laid for the reservoir to ensure that it pumped water to neighbouring villages of Jirapa.

He stated that the essence of Rotary Club was to promote community development, adding that the club would need the support of its stakeholders to be able to achieve its goals and objectives.

Mr Mwinkaara indicated that, the Jirapa water expansion project was an agendum to extend potable water to majority of residents in the municipality, saying, the club was prepared to partner development oriented organisations to champion the agenda.

“Sustainability is a very critical component of our projects. We, therefore, appeal to the management of this facility to undertake timely repair and maintenance works to prolong the lifespan of the facility and also ensure that the community enjoys fully, the benefit of the project,” he said.

Inaugurating the water project, the Municipal Chief Executive, Ms Christine Bombanye-Amadu lauded the club for the project and its location and said it was going to improve the water system in the municipality.

“Konkuo is my hometown and growing up as a young girl in a community without water has been very problematic. Several boreholes have been drilled for this community but have been rendered defunct and residents, especially females are suffering.”

Ms Bombanye-Amadu intimated that the Municipal Assembly was able to provide a borehole for the community but it was unable to serve the growing number of inhabitants, some of whom still relied on other unhygienic sources for water and commended the club for the gesture.

From Lydia Fordjour and Rafia Abdul-Razak, Wa