The Millennium Child Support Group (MCSG), in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have commissioned a new borehole for the Dakuma Basic School in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region.
The project is aimed at improving access to safe and clean drinking water, enhancing quality education, and promoting the well-being of school children and the community.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to enhance the quality of life for residents, particularly girls, by providing essential services.
The borehole, implemented through the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) and Spanish cooperation, is expected to provide safe and reliable water accessible to over 300 school children.
The borehole will also serve the surrounding community and complement the School Feeding Programme (SFP).
Key stakeholders present at the commissioning included the District Chief Executive, District Director of Education, traditional leaders, and the donor representatives.
Godfrey Ato Parker, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MCSG, in his address, noted that the project would not have been possible without the support of partners.
He said such initiatives aimed to transform the lives of children in underserved communities by improving access to clean water, quality healthcare, child protection and opportunities that would empower and uplift what the school children would be pursued.
“Investing in child development and infrastructure will help to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as enhance a brighter future for children in the region,” the CEO stressed.
He called for more support from donor organisations to improve the livelihoods of school children in the Upper West Region and the country at large.
Furthermore, Mr Ato Parker emphasised that access to clean water was foundational to achieving quality education, healthcare delivery and improved livelihoods, particularly children.
Francis Dabire, the Programme Communication Officer and Partnership, stated that the initiative is aligned with ECOWAS’s integrated School Feeding Model.
“This borehole is not just a water infrastructure but a symbol of hope, dignity, and shared progress for the community,” he affirmed.
Kuoro Abu Diaka Sukabe Ninia V, Paramount Chief of Zini Traditional Area, whose speech was read on his behalf, commended the MCSG for the intervention.
He said the gesture would ease the burden on school children and residents, adding that it would address structural causes of poverty that hinder development.
The Paramount Chief described the borehole project as a source of health, foundational for learning, and a promise of a brighter future for the children.
Borsu Abu Ibrahim, Headmaster of Dakuma Basic School, also expressed gratitude to MCSG and its partners for the borehole project, and described it as crucial intervention for the community.
The Headmaster pledged to ensure the sustainability of the project and has resolved to take good care of the borehole to maximise its benefits for the school and the community.
FROM NAZIRU ALHASSAN, WA
