Airtel Ghana says it would provide technical advice and material support for the construction of a water dam for the village of Zimoupare in the Nandom District of the Upper West Region. The dam was built in the 1950s through the collective effort of the people of Zimuopare, a subsistence farming community, but it collapsed in the year 2000. A new one built by the people without any technical assistance has also deteriorated. Airtel said in a statement that it responded to a call from support by one Mr. Sylvester Zakpalah-Dere Angwanonenoah, a retired teacher and native of the village, who wrote to Airtel Touching Lives and nominated Zimuopare as a community needing support. “Aas part of our corporate social responsibility initiative, Touching Lives, Airtel Ghana has made the commitment to make life easier for them,” the statement said. It quoted head of Corporate Communications and External Affairs, Donald Gwira as saying “our team visited the area after Mr. Angwanonenoah’s letter; we realized among others that the youth of the area were prepared to stay around and engage in farming only if they had water in the dam to irrigate with, and Airtel being a youth-focused brand we felt we should extend a helping hand to them and through this help reverse the trend of rural-urban migration.” Mr. Gwira did not disclose the financial cost of Airtel’s support for the construction of the dam explaining that the concept of Touching Lives and Airtel Ghana’s CSR initiative was to look at making a sustainable impact in the lives of people, adding that the relief Airtel brought to people and communities could not be quantified in monetary terms. The statement noted that when completed, the dam would help provide water for household use and for livestock, provide a source of water for the youth to go into dry season farming and avert migration down south. “It will also provide fish to improve the protein intake of the people and also contribute to increasing the incomes of the people of Zimuopare,” it said. Airtel’s Touching Lives is currently showing on Metro TV, TV3, TV Africa, Viasat 1 and Adom TV on Multi TV throughout the week.