Residents of Dodome-Dogblome in the Ho West District of the Volta Region have expressed relief following the commissioning of a mechanised borehole facility to provide safe and reliable drinking water for the community.
For decades, the community relied on a stream as its primary source of water, despite concerns over safety and sanitation. Residents say the situation exposed them to waterborne diseases and other dangers associated with accessing water from the bush.
Assembly Member for the Awuiasu/Dogbloma Electoral Area, Hon. Gabriel Anku, said the community had struggled with access to potable water since his childhood.
“Since infancy, when I was born, there has been no source of portable drinking water that the community fetches its drinking water from,” he stated.
According to him, residents had to spend about an hour fetching water from the stream, while children and vulnerable community members often encountered snakes and other reptiles on their way to access water.
He recounted a time when two community members were bitten by snakes on their way to fetch water.
Hon. Anku explained that the stream was also shared with animals, including goats and fowls, creating serious health concerns for residents.
“Our community had lacked portable drinking water so we accessed water from a stream, but fowls, goats and other animals used to step in the water before this intervention came,” he said.
He noted that the dependence on unsafe water sources contributed to increasing cases of waterborne diseases within the community, resulting in rising attendance at health facilities by residents.
To bring relief to the people of Dodome-Dogblome a borehole has been completed by the Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-Ghana), in collaboration with the Volta Regional Coordination Council (VRCC) with funding support from the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) and other stakeholders.
According to the Assembly Member, the borehole was initially drilled in February 2024 but lack of funding delayed efforts to mechanise it until CFF-Ghana intervened.
He described the mechanised borehole project as a major relief for the people, adding that it would significantly improve public health and access to clean water.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Managing Director of the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company, Dr Wisdom Kofi Dogbey, described access to clean water as a fundamental right essential for health, growth and prosperity.
He noted that the intervention was particularly important for a cocoa-growing community such as Dodome-Dogblome, where farmers contribute significantly to the economy.
“In a cocoa-growing community like this, where the hard work of farmers sustains our economy, clean water will empower families, enhance productivity and foster a healthier future,” he stated.
Dr Dogbey said the project symbolised the collective commitment of the President, H.E John Dramani Mahama towards improving the well-being of the community and supporting sustainable development.
“This project is more than infrastructure; it is a lifeline,” he added.
The Executive Director of CFF-Ghana, Mr Richard Kasu, also highlighted the wider water challenges facing the Volta Region, disclosing that about 900 mechanised boreholes are needed across the region to ensure safe water access.
He explained that the organisation is collaborating with the Volta Regional Coordinating Council and other partners under a Safe Water Access Initiative aimed at improving access to clean drinking water in rural communities in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6).
“With this facility, we are reducing waterborne diseases, freeing up hours previously spent on water collection, and giving our children more time to be in school and our women more time to engage in productive work,” he said.
He commended the Cocoa Marketing Company for sponsoring the mechanisation project and appealed for continued support to bridge the water access gap in rural Ghana.
The Volta Regional Minister, Hon. James Gunu, who commissioned the facility, praised CFF-Ghana, the Cocoa Marketing Company and other relevant stakeholders for complementing government’s efforts to provide safe drinking water to all.
He stressed that interventions by non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies and private individuals play a critical role in supporting the government’s development agenda.
According to him, to meet the need for about 900 mechanised boreholes that are needed to address water challenges in the region, district assemblies across the region have been tasked to ensure that at least 10 boreholes are drilled in each district to help bridge the gap.
He noted that projects such as the Dodome-Dogblome mechanised borehole demonstrate the importance of partnerships between government, institutions and communities in addressing pressing social needs.
The Regional Minister further urged residents to take ownership of the facility by ensuring proper maintenance and responsible usage to guarantee its sustainability for future generations.
The District Chief Executive for Ho West, Hon. Prosper Francis Dussey, who was also present at the occasion said the intervention came at a critical time when the people urgently needed safe drinking water.
“We need quality water. We need safe water. We have a lot of streams, but that is not the best way to go,” he said.
He explained that although the district assembly had already drilled some boreholes in selected communities, there was an urgent need for mechanisation to make them functional.
Hon. Dussey identified areas such as the Hlenfi Health Centre, Kpedze Market and Kpedze Senior High School as communities where boreholes have been drilled but still require mechanisation.
He appealed to development partners and organisations to continue supporting the district in addressing water challenges and other developmental needs.
The DCE also expressed confidence that the people of Dodome-Dogblome would protect and maintain the facility to ensure its long-term use.
Residents of the community have welcomed the intervention, expressing optimism that access to safe drinking water will improve health conditions, reduce waterborne diseases and contribute to the socio-economic development of the area.
Community members of Dodome-Dogblome at the commissioning of the mechanised borehole.
Managing Director of Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company, Dr Wisdom Kofi Dogbey (first from the left) followed by the Volta Regional Minister, Hon James Gunu, next to the Executive Director of CFF-Ghana, Mr Richard Kasu the DCE for Ho-West, Hon Prosper Francis Dussey in a photograph.
The Volta Regional Minister, drinking water from the newly commissioned mechanised borehole at Dodome-Dogblome accompanied by the Managing Director of the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company.
