The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) in collaboration with the Swiss Red Cross has commissioned 102 units of two-bedroom houses constructed for victims of the October 2019 flood in six communities across the Builsa North District and Kassena Nankana Municipality.

The communities include; Mayoro benefitting 33, Nantuna 17, Chuchuliga 26, Kasa eight, Silinsi 11 and Bilinsa, seven houses.In a durbar organized to officially handover the buildings to the beneficiaries, Kwame Gyima Akwafo, the National President of GRCS, said the Red Cross undertook the project following its visit to the areas after the 2019 flood rendered vulnerable victims homeless.

He said the housing project dubbed ‘build back better’ did not only seek to provide replacement houses for flood victims, but to also build houses that were permanent and could withstand persistent rainfall.

He said logistics provided by the Red Cross for the construction of each house included; 350 pieces of sandcrete blocks, 15 bags of cement, sand, stones, bitumen, roofing materials, and some cash to pay for the services of artisans.

“For the purposes of sustainability and sense of pride, beneficiaries also had a role to play in building better houses for themselves.”

“Beyond the building structures, we have provided beneficiaries with tree seedlings to plant around the houses to serve as windbreak,” he added.

Mr Akwafo commended the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the Department of Rural Housing for their collaborative efforts in ensuring a successful completion of the project.

Madam Tangoba Abayage, the Upper East Regional Minister and Parliamentary Candidate for Navrongo Central constituency, bemoaned the negative effects the perennial floods had on the region.

She called on residents to prepare for rains during the harmattan season by patching and plastering their homes to increase their resilience and urged beneficiaries to maintain the houses properly to serve as a motivation for replication of the project in other parts of the region.

Pe Dr. Pwakeah Atupaare Manchi III, the Paramount Chief of Mayoro traditional area, on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended GRCS and their partners for the intervention.

He said the situation was an affront to their dignity as the people were homeless and living in fear of the annual rains.