Regional News of Thursday, 20 August 2015

Source: Mawuli Viwotor

Alem Foundation gives water filters to old Akrade

Alem Mumuni Alem Mumuni

Africa’s number one C2 Paracyclist, Alem Mumuni, has presented thirty-four (34) sets of water filters to the Old Akrade Community in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, under the Alem Foundation’s ‘Safer Water, Healthier Community’ project, at an impressive ceremony at Old Akrade.

According to Alem Mumuni, President of the Foundation, the water filters are to help make the drinking water of the community safer since they depend on untreated water fetched from the Volta Lake.

He disclosed that, the presentation was the first in the series that would ensure that all households within Old Akrade and eventually other deprived communities that drink untreated water, are equipped with the filters to enhance the health of women and children and other vulnerable groups.

He advised the residents to handle the filters with care to stretch their life span, stressing that they stand to lose if they misuse them.

Alem Mumuni, who is currently preparing to participate in a cycling competition in South Africa to defend his title and build up points for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, promised to donate more of the filters to households that could not benefit from the first batch.

He capitalized on the occasion to urge parents to make their wards’ education their priority to guarantee them a better future.

The Asuogyaman District Deputy Director of Education in charge of Supervision, Mr. Prosper Yekple, asked parents to consider Alem Mumuni’s efforts as an example and encouragement to place premium on the education of their children for a better future.

With support from Kritical Mass and Fresh Water UK, Alem Foundation is embarking on the project to save communities from the effects of untreated water, alongside its other missions of educating under-privileged children and eradicating polio from Ghana in collaboration with Rotary International.

Born in 1983, in the Upper East region of Ghana, Alem contracting Polio in 1985 and crawled until was 10 years old. Undaunted by those challenges, he has risen to become Africa’s three time C2 Paracyclist and the first Ghanaian cyclist at the Paralympian.

His foundation has enrolled some eighty pupils on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and is paying the fees of many others.

He is Rotary International Ambassador for End Polio project, geared towards eradicating polio and he would be embarking on a ride from Accra to Kumasi to raise awareness and funds on the project in collaboration with Rotary International.