The Centre for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (C-WASH), a non-governmental organization, has donated solar-powered, mechanised water systems to two senior high schools in the Upper East Region to help address severe water shortages.

This initiative aims to improve access to clean water and sanitation practices among students and is part of the WASH in Senior High Schools program funded by partners in Switzerland.

The beneficiary schools are Saint John’s Integrated Senior High School in the Northern Region and Azeem Namoa Senior High Technical School in the Bongo District.

Each school received a solar-powered water facility equipped with a 10,000-liter storage tank, ensuring a reliable source of safe drinking water for their students and staff.

In total, the project will benefit 1,500 students at Saint John’s and approximately 800 students and 46 staff members at Azeem Namoa Senior High Technical School.

This intervention is designed not only to address the schools’ water needs but also to support improved sanitation practices.

In addition, C-WASH hopes the donation will serve as a model for other schools in the region, ultimately contributing to efforts to eliminate open defecation.

The move follows a baseline survey conducted by C-WASH, which revealed that students at both schools were forced to engage in open defecation due to the lack of adequate water and sanitation infrastructure.

At the handover ceremony, C-WASH Project Manager Mr. Samuel Vorlashie emphasized that the facilities were meant to address the critical water challenges both schools have long faced.

“This intervention aims to improve sanitation and, in turn, enhance the quality of academic activities,” he noted.

The Headmaster of Azeem Namoa Senior High Technical School, Ebenezer Tay, expressed his deep gratitude, saying, “This will have a positive impact on both the students' well-being and their academic progress.”