Water Issues in Ghana 

A 2003 Report by UNICEF states that only 11% of Ghanaians have access to adequate sanitation; fewer than 30% of rural households have latrines.

The national incidence of diarrhea in Ghana is 18% (the northern regions are as high as 31%) – due to lack of water, sanitation, and health education.  81% of the rural population (such as the village of Dumpong) relies on untreated drinking water.  Lack of clean drinking water contributes to high percentages of bacterial and protozoal diarrhea. World wide, every day, 6000 people die from diarrheal diseases – mostly among children under the age of 5 years.  Hepatitis A, and typhoid fever, as well as cholera, dysentery, polio, and meningitis are also health issues stemming from the use of unpotable water.

As in the village of Dumpong, where people draw their water directly from a stream for direct use without boiling, they are exposed to aquatic parasites that cause Guinea worm disease, filariasis, and schistosomiasis.  These diseases are generally not fatal, but are debilitating, can cause serious permanent organ damage, and interfere with childhood development. 

Information: UNESCO  World-Wide Water Development Report 2003, United Nations Development Programme  Equator Initiative

Water Project for the Village of Dumpong, Eastern Region, Ghana

The Village of Dumpong in the Eastern Region is a small rural enclave of 160 households and approximately 600 people; the majority are children.  There is one main road through town, which is lined with mud brick hovels.  There is one school, 2 churches, and a soccer field.   There is no electricity and no source of potable water.  All of the villagers get their water from the nearby stream and do not appear to routinely boil it before use. In 1995, an open well was dug by a European church group.  It functioned for about two years at which time the water became “contaminated” and usage stopped.  Since then, the village has been using surface water from the stream.

While building the Dumpong Biofuels Project; the recipient farmer, Frank Aidoo, expressed his desire to be able to provide a source of clean water to the village.  His plan would be to site a large water tank at the village, and pump water from his well to it.  The generator to run the pump is fueled by the biodiesel Frank now produces on his farm.  Because Frank bottles and sells water from his well, he is intimately knowledgeable about his product and his well capacity output,. His stake in the water insures that he will be a competent steward of the operation. 

Dumpong Biofuels assumes a sense of responsibility in the health of this community, and recognizes the vital importance in the availability of clean water for human life.  To this end, we are soliciting funding to make this plan a reality.   The model for this water project is for Frank Aidoo to use his expertise and experience to engineer the building of the water system for Dumpong, and for Dumpong Biofuels’ associates in Ghana,  Patricia Wilkins and Allotey Bruce Konuah, to oversee and administer the project.