Correspondence from Eastern Region:

Residents of Sodjonu, a rural community in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of Eastern Region have appealed to local authorities and the government as a whole to provide them with clean potable water.

The residents have been drinking from a polluted stream for years and recently sourcing water from an unhygienic open well which they deem as "unwholesome" water.

The residents said they have no option than to rely on the unclean water since they have no other source of water.

Ghanaweb visited the Sodjonu community, which is one of the many communities in the Abrewankor Electoral Area within the Yilo Krobo Municipality, and realized that the entire community access their water from the unclean open well.

Both young and old and even underaged children troupe to the open well after walking for quite a distance to fetch the water for all domestic purposes.

Other adjoining communities also rely on the unclean water at Sodjonu but would have to cross a stagnant poisonous stream on a dangerously hanging wooden beam placed as a bridge before accessing the only available water.

The Assemblyman for the Area, Stephen Nyumutsu, told Ghanaweb that "at around 4pm this whole place would be full of people coming to fetch water from this place.

"Sometimes they would fetch and it would dry up; yet, they would stand by it and wait for water to come up again so they fetch to their homes," he said.

The Assemblyman also narrated that some two girls, with basins of water on their heads, recently lost their balance and fell into the stagnant stream while crossing the dangerous wooden beam bridge to their communities.

Stephen Nyumutsu further disclosed that the only health facility in the Electoral Area, situated at Labolabo, an adjoining community, also relies solely on the open well for water to attend to clinical needs.

"We have only one clinic in the Electoral Area and that clinic is called Bishop Evangelou Community Health Center located at Labolabo.

"They also have a similar challenge. If it is not rain water, then they also come here for this water.



"The borehole which has been constructed for them is not in good condition. It is not working. They either depend on rain water or they send the children to this place (about 15 minutes walk) and then use it at the clinic.

"So I'm appealing that at least, ...for the clinic, recently and currently, they have been receiving births. They have started maternity at the place; so at least, for the sake of the good people, they deserve a good source of water.

"And the staff over there are struggling; so you go there and they are complaining. They can't get water and they are using sachet water for everything which is costing them," he expressed.

When Ghanaweb visited the clinic, it could be seen that the entire facility needs renovation as it does not look so good for a health center.

The only borehole donated by the Chinese government in 2016 to the clinic had broken down and could not produce water. One could also see the rain water harvesting channel connected into the clinic's polytank sitting under a scorching sun in anticipation for a rainfall.

The health facility's place of convenience was also an eyesore. Very unkempt, without the qualities to be called a "place of convenience" for patients or visitors.

According to information, the health center was built by a UK Missionary called Bishop Evangelou. His vision was to see the facility become a big edifice fit for a referral center that would meet every health need of residents in the Municipality.