Water Aid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, with sponsorship from HSBC – Malta, has constructed a solar powered mechanised borehole to supply clean water to the Salaga Senior High School (SASS) to address the challenges students encounter while searching for water.

Water Aid Ghana has also constructed a 24-seater toilet facility with a biogas digestive system for SASS to convert faeces of students to biogas to be used for cooking food for them (students).

The biogas facility would also produce a by-product, which would be used to fertilize the school’s farms.

Dr Afia Zakiya, the Country Representative of Water Aid Ghana, assisted by Mr Mohammed Aminu Lukumanu, the District Chief Executive of East Gonja and Alhaji Imoro Sumani, the headmaster of SASS, inaugurated the 50,000.00 British pound sterling facilities, at Salaga on Thursday.

Dr Zakiya said the provision of the facilities was to address water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs of the students as well as enable them to spend more hours undertaking their academic activities instead of spending productive hours in search of water.

The biogas facility was also to ensure that the school stopped using firewood for cooking to ensure environmental sustainability whiles ensuring that students put a stop to widespread open defecation in nearby bushes, which was dangerous to their own health.

Prior to the provision of these facilities, students of SASS walked long distances searching for water to undertake their activities, as well as practised open defecation in nearby bushes.

Dr Zakiya urged the students to ensure clean environment and promote personal hygiene for improved health conditions.

She also urged the students, management of the school, and the district assembly to take good care of the facilities and ensure routine maintenance to sustain them.

Mr Lukumanu described Water Aid Ghana as a reliable development partner of government and commended it for going to the aid of SASS to improve WASH needs of the students.

He indicated government’s commitment to ensure that all had access to WASH facilities, saying there had been significant increase in prioritisation and investments to improve water coverage in both urban and rural communities across the country.

Alhaji Sumani expressed gratitude to Water Aid Ghana for providing the facilities, which would not only solve the WASH needs of the school but also help to improve academic standards because students could spend more time with their books.

He gave the assurance that the facilities would be used judiciously to sustain them.