Ghana

Ghana

Country statistics Population: 22.8 mio. People without improved drinking water source: 4.6 mio. Child mortality rate: 11.5% Source: United Nations Statistics Division Project Project start 2009 Training through promoters 5 000 users

Almost one third of the rural population and in total 4.6 million people in Ghana have no access to safe drinking water. In May 2009 we launched a SODIS promotion project in order to improve this precarious situation. The diocese of Konongo-Mampong in the Ashanti region, near Kumasi, the second largest town of the country, is our local partner organization.

The project area is extremely arid. The people fetch the water from shallow wells and carry it over long distances back to their homes. Usually they drink the raw water without any treatment. Therefore, diarrheal diseases are very frequent and in 2007 a cholera outbreak occurred in the project area.

The diocese Mampong introduced the SODIS method with a pilot project in 5 villages. The project trained a total of 2 000 households or 10 000 persons in the use of SODIS, of which now fifty percent use the method on a regular basis. This project is integrated in a health programme which was initiated in 55 villages 9 years ago.

The project leader identified in the 5 villages a total of 30 promoters who were trained in the promotion and dissemination of the SODIS method. These promoters are now introducing in their villages over the next 9 months. Empty plastic bottles are sold in the small shops of the communities in order to guarantee a sufficient supply of plastic bottles.

Local partner organisation

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