Three years after Joy News’ documentary Jungle Poor highlighted widespread poverty in the Volta regional town of Nyitavuta, residents continue to enjoy the goodies that followed. They have a constant supply of potable water as well as a source of power now.

In 2015, Nyitavuta was featured in a Joy News documentary Jungle Poor as a deprived community where basic amenities including pipe borne water, light, and sanitary facilities were missing.

The documentary sought to review Ghana’s efforts at meeting the Millennium Development Goals and Nyitavuta was highlighted as one of the communities where progress towards development had been slow.

The residents had to walk very long distances to fetch water which was not even clean.

“The water was mixed with dry leaves, cow drops and others. It was not good for our health,” a resident Forgive told Joy News. Philanthropists and NGOs responded positively.

“Based on your documentary, philanthropists came to their aid by providing this water and a public toilet for them. GETFund is also putting up a teacher’s bungalow and three unit classroom block.

It is ongoing,” Member of Parliament for Akatsi North Peter Nortsu told Joy News.

The women in the community say the borehole has served them well ever since. “We are so happy about it. When it is the dry season, we don’t have much problem with water. The school children too, it is helping them a lot. When they wake up, they come here to fetch water and then they go to school on time,” Forgive explained.

US Electrical Engineer Prof. Tode Cumberbatch upon seeing the story provided the community with solar lanterns and a solar panel.

Assembly member Cephas Veto says it’s changed the lives of the people.

“Let me use this opportunity to congratulate Joy news. It was the last two years when they came here and through their documentary named Jungle Poor, we got a lot of NGOs coming here. And they brought us solar panels,” he explained.

The residents are now at least able to charge their phones with the solar panels. “This solar panel has helped this community a lot. At first, before they charge their phones, they go to Agormor or there is a community behind us, Kpoxe, but as at now, they are charging their phones here,” the assembly member said. “They got some light too. It helped our students a lot. They are using it for learning,” he added.

The chief of the community says they are grateful. “Because of the work you did at Joy news, we have also gotten clean water,” he said at a durbar held to receive the Joy news team that visited.  

The community is, however, appealing for the completion of the road network and extension of electricity, as well as a health post. “There is no health post. The road too is not good. Before they get to the hospital nearby, it’s not easy. So we are appealing,” the assembly member said.

The change in the community as a result of the Joy News story was also rewarded at the 2018 MTN Heroes of Change awards.

Development is gradually getting to Nyitavuta. But a lot more needs to be done to lift it above the poverty line.

Below is the video link to the story: