Residents in Kathue, a remote village in the Wa West District of the Upper West Region say they have now been relieved of a heavy burden.
According to the residents, their most prominent challenge which was the inadequacy of potable water has been resolved with the construction of a new borehole.
The residents told GBC’s Mark Smith that prior to the sinking of the new borehole, they had to spend several hours in a very long queue just to get water for their household activities.
They explained that this eventually made the children report late to school, and made them also highly unproductive because they had to spend more time at the borehole rather than on their farms.
The 12 thousand Ghana-Cedi borehole with a hand pump was sunk by the Church of Pentecost as part of the church’s social responsibility.
The Wa Area Head of the Church of Pentecost, Reverend Robert Andoh, said the church has a duty to help residents and congregants meet their materials needs aside their spiritual development.
He explained that “after preaching the gospel, we [the church] have to meet the felt and real needs of the people as well.”
Rev Andoh said the Church of Pentecost is positioning itself to be able to help provide certain basic social amenities that some communities lack as much as they can by collaborating with government. The gesture forms part of the church’s 5-year strategic plan which ends in 2023.
The Wa Area Head said as much as the church coluld continue to support certain needy communities, the communities must take charge or ensure that the amenities provided are kept in good condition. He said when the facilities are kept I’m good condition, it will motivate the Church to spend money on other important infrastructure for other communities.
The Church of Pentecost early in the year constructed another borehole costing 11 thousand Ghana-Cedis for residents in Gomali also in the Wa West District. The Dabo District Pastor of the Church of Pentecost, Chris Ameyaw disclosed that the borehole was funded by Mr and Mrs Nyahe from the Silver Spring Central Assembly in Merryland, USA.
He said as a Pastor in that community, he noticed that residents were always late to church service because of water challenges. Pastor Ameyaw said the residents were late because they spent so much time at the only borehole the community used to have. He hoped that the community residents would take good care of the borehole.
The DCE for Wa West Edward Labiir Sabo was excited about the gesture of the church. He admitted that government alone could not provide all the needed development, thus the need for other organisations to help the needy with certain basic amenities.
The DCE donated 50 bags of cement to the Church of Pentecost in fulfillment of a pledge it made in January at the handing over ceremony of a borehole in Gomali. The cement is supposed to go into the construction of a church building in the area.
Madam Felicia and Emmanuel Senye both residents of the community expressed gratitude to the Church of Pentecost for the kind gesture and pledged to take good care of the facility.
Story by Mark Smith
