Vibrant Village Foundation (VVF), a United States based organisation that recently started operating in Ghana has drilled 12 boreholes and repaired 50 others in Fielmon and surrounding communities in the Upper West Region.
The gesture has so far helped an estimated 12,500 people to have access to potable water. Mr Lenny Baer, VVF Ghana Programme Director, disclosed this when the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Ceazar Kale, joined hands to commission one of the water facilities at Fielmon in the Sissala West District.
Mr Baer said VVF Ghana, which officially started working in Ghana in 2012, is currently focused on the water and education sectors with an initial budget of 230,000 dollars.
In the water sector, Mr Baer said VVF Ghana had trained 13 water and sanitation committees and was planning to train 20 more committees this month to take charge of issues concerning water and sanitation in their respective communities.
On education, Mr Baer said VVF Ghana delivered 200 dual desks and 20 teachers’ chairs to Nemoro Primary School.
VVF Ghana also delivered over 25,000 notebooks, exercise books and copy books, and 330 arm boards in 2012 to improve on teaching and learning at the school.
Mr Baer said his organisation also helped in the sewing of 375 school uniforms for children in lower primary and held meetings with trainers from colleges of education in planning for the hiring and training of 10 new teachers to fill vacancies.
He said over 800 children were benefiting from the education project, adding that it was the intention of VVF Ghana to turn some primary schools in the area to model schools to improve on academic performance.
Mr Kale thanked VVF Ghana and said government would support any such intervention aimed at improving on the quality of life of the people. He appealed to the beneficiary communities to take good care of the facilities and maintain them regularly.
Mr Moses Dramani Luri, Sissala West District Chief Executive, called for collaboration between the organisation and the district assembly to avoid duplication of efforts.