By Gloria Anderson and Eric Kobina Crenstil
In the Ketu North District of the Volta Region, the lack of access to clean and safe drinking water remains a pressing challenge for many rural communities. Localities such as Dzigbokorpe, Kpeyiborkope, Torkpo, Torvie, and Dunyokope have endured years of water deprivation, relying on saline wells, polluted streams, and intermittent donor support for survival.
These conditions have prompted a passionate appeal by residents and opinion leaders for inclusion in a newly announced water intervention project by Meaningful Life International, a humanitarian organisation. The group has revealed plans to construct 100 boreholes across underserved communities in Ghana as part of a nationwide effort to address the country’s water crisis.
For the residents of Dzigbokorpe, the announcement offers a glimmer of hope. The community’s only well, drilled in 1982, now produces salty water, unusable for drinking or cooking. Despite repeated repair attempts, the water system remains dysfunctional. Residents, many of whom depend on agriculture and starch processing, are often forced to buy water at costs as high as GH¢200, a considerable burden on their livelihoods.
The situation in Kpeyiborkope is equally distressing, with a single well serving the entire population. In Torkpo and Torvie, residents fetch water from open, unprotected streams often shared with livestock. A previous attempt by an NGO to drill a well in Torvie yielded no water, forcing the community to return to the contaminated stream, ironically described by locals as more “tasty” than the brackish water from abandoned systems.
These experiences are not just anecdotal; they reflect a deeper systemic issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2 billion people globally use drinking water sources contaminated with faeces, which can lead to severe diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. The WHO recommends that water sources be free from harmful microorganisms and chemicals—a standard these communities consistently fall short of.
A recent “research and community engagement initiative” by Meaningful Life International highlighted these challenges in Ketu North, bringing to light the severity of the situation. The findings showed that many residents in the area have little or no access to potable water, with most relying on untreated surface water or digging shallow wells prone to contamination.
The Founder of Meaningful Life International, Dr. Gordwin Kofi Ahlijah, said the research conducted across the country would help determine the communities that need urgent intervention. He hinted that the NGO hopes to construct one hundred boreholes and that the fact-finding mission will chart the way forward in bringing potable water to the communities. He announced that the project, “Construct Hundred Boreholes,” will be launched after the community engagements.
As Ghana pushes toward achieving “Sustainable Development Goal 6″—ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all by 2030—concerns are growing over the glaring neglect of communities like those in Ketu North. Residents are therefore urging Meaningful Life International to prioritise their inclusion in the borehole project.
“This is not just a water problem; it’s a matter of survival,” said a resident of Torkpo. “We have been forgotten for too long. We’re grateful for this intervention, but we beg to be counted among the beneficiaries.”
Water remains a basic human right and a critical determinant of health, education, and economic productivity. The cries from Ketu North must not go unheard. As Meaningful Life International prepares to roll out its borehole initiative, now is the time for stakeholders, from government bodies to civil society and development partners, to support and amplify this lifesaving mission.
For the people of Dzigbokorpe, Kpeyiborkope, Torkpo, Torvie, and Dunyokope, a borehole could mean far more than clean water; it could mean dignity, health, and hope.
