The enrolment of pupils into schools has increased significantly, especially among girls, in the Upper East Region, thanks to Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities provided by World Vision Ghana, a humanitarian non-governmental organisation.
Various heads of schools in the region made these revelations during a press tour to inspect facilities and see the impacts they are making in the lives of people.
According to them, access to water was one the challenges facing the children since they had to travel miles to get water.
World Vision Ghana, under its School Health Education Programme (SHEP), provides WASH facilities, which includes changing rooms for schools.
SHEP is a programme under WASH that focuses on personal hygiene and other WASH-related issues.
The school was provided with a changing room, Veronica Buckets, a urinary pit.
Some of the beneficiary schools shared their story on how the provision of water has changed the fortunes of the school, and urged parents to enrol their wards in school.
Mr Dominic Ndego, the headmaster of Tempane Senior High School in the Garu-Tempane District of the Upper East Region, said the installation of a solar-powered mechanised borehole provided by World Vision Ghana in 2013 has led to a significant increase in enrolment in the school.
According to him, enrolment has increased from 300 to 1,868, adding that the fortunes of the school had completely turned around as a result of the mechanised borehole, which produces 100 litres of water every minute.
He said the mechanised borehole has improved sanitation on the compound, as well as teaching and learning.
He explained that before the borehole was constructed, students trekked long distances to a dam site to fetch water to be used in the dormitories and kitchen.
“Diseases such as cholera and bilharzia, which were common, had also become a thing of the past,” he noted.
He said the solar attached to the facility has also reduced the pressure on the national grid.
He said the borehole also served to strengthen the relationship between the school and the community.
He announced that World Vision also supported the school with football jerseys, water tanks to store water and textbooks.
Mr Atta Arhin, the WASH Manager of WVG, thanked the various heads for their assistance towards putting up the facilities, which have ensured that sanitation has improved in the communities, as well as the overall wellbeing, especially among children.
Other beneficiary schools were Sirigu Senior High School, Tubong Junior High School, Tupint Roman Catholic Junior High School and Mother of Mercy Roman Catholic, all in the region.
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