Villages in Ghana receive running water for the first time through AMURT’s community owned water project. The existing projects expand to 6 more villages and get a new roughing filter. The Seva Clinic gets a laboratory.
Mafi Zongo Water Project: New Roughing Filter Smoothens Drinking Water Access
We are excited that we have finally started the construction of a new larger filter with assistance of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The new filter is close to eight times larger than our current roughing filter. When completed in May this year, it will ensure a better water quality year round, and prevent the clogging of the filters that has made it difficult for the project to meet the high demand for water during the dry season. Two engineers from EWB in Tucson, Arizona supervise the construction.
The water project was planned in three phases. In September 2008 we connected three communities of phase 3, bringing the total number of communities served to 26. The communities of Mankukope, Avlavikope and Avukope did all the hard labor of digging the trenches. With the help of AMURT Italy, and community groups in Casalmaggiore we were able to connect three more communities to the Mafi-Kumase Water Project. The communities are Kpevekor, Dekpoe and Kpokukope.
We started to nurse tree seedlings to be planted around the dam and the catchment area. With the inspiration and guidance of volunteers from New York City, a group of school children has started a tree nursery near the Zongo dam. We intend to plant 3000 seedlings around the catchment area to protect the dam and reduce silting.
KEKELI PROGRAM – Focus on Maternal Health
Twenty-five traditional birth attendants (TBA’s) trained by volunteer Lisa Dalporto graduated in a ceremony at the Seva Clinic in 2008. Four representatives from the District Health Department and six assembly men graced the occasion and inspired the TBA’s in their work.
We are confident that our ongoing maternal health campaign will make a difference in maternal and infant health in the project area which extends to forty communities, and a population close to fifteen thousand.
Mafi-Seva Clinic – New Laboratory
In March, a team from AMURT Italy came to install a laboratory at Seva Clinic. Gideon from the Seva Clinic had spent two months as an apprentice at the Adidome Hospital and was well trained. The clinic lab at Seva can now do diagnostic tests for the most common diseases in the area, including malaria, typhoid, HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, giardia, e.coli, strep, etc. They can also do complete urine test, hemoglobin and blood sugar tests. AMURT intends to continue to support the improvement of the clinic’sfacilities and services so as to serve the community better.