Africa-Press – Ghana. Dr. Joe Lambongang, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GrowthAid, has led the commissioning of the rehabilitated water facility for the people of Kpedze-Anoe, breathing a new life into an essential resource for the community.
The original Slow Sand Filtration System, constructed by DANIDA in 1986, was once the lifeline of the community.
Over the years, it exceeded its design lifespan by more than 15 years and eventually fell into disuse, leaving residents without reliable access to safe drinking water.
“With the generous support of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we didn’t just repair the system—we reimagined it,” Dr. Lambongang stated.
“Today, it stands as an inspiring Small Town Water System, capable of delivering safe water to an estimated 4,500 residents, schoolchildren, and their teachers through direct household connections and nine rehabilitated public standpipes.”
So far, around 30 households have already been connected, with many more on the waiting list, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.
This project is part of a broader GrowthAid mission, which has brought safe water to over 300,000 people across the Eastern, Ashanti, and Volta Regions, benefiting 26 schools, healthcare facilities, and over 49 communities.
In addition, GrowthAid has reached more than 50,000 people with services to prevent and manage neglected tropical diseases, in partnership with district health directorates.
Dr. Lambongang emphasized the organization’s innovative approach that had trained Water Management Committees not only to operate and maintain their systems but to manage them professionally, with a vision for expansion and long-term sustainability. This approach, he said, was gaining recognition within the WASH sector.
He called attention to the broader need that, across the region, about 35 other slow sand filtration systems, built decades ago, were now beyond their design life.
Each represents thousands of people waiting for safe water again. ”The solutions are within reach—we have the expertise, community trust, and track record to restore them.”
Dr. Lambongang urged political leaders, development partners, and local authorities to join forces, stating, “Let’s not allow another generation to grow up without safe water when the solutions are at hand. Clean water is not a privilege—it is a right.”
He thanked The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for their unwavering belief in the value of human dignity and called on the people of Kpedze-Anoe to take ownership of the system, maintain it, and safeguard it for decades to come.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ho West, Mr. Prosper Francis Dussey, acknowledged that despite the district’s development plans, water scarcity remained a pressing challenge.
He outlined ongoing efforts, including the drilling of 15 new boreholes, mechanization of 10 existing ones, and a forthcoming project—supported by an Accra-based NGO—to drill an additional 22 boreholes starting in October.
“We are not drilling boreholes for the sake of it,” he stressed. “Our aim is to provide enough water to meet the needs of large populations so that the water problem in Ho West will soon be a thing of the past.”
Mr. Dussey commended GrowthAid and its partners for their initiative and invited further collaboration, noting that Kpedze comprised four communities, of which Anoe is only one.
“The other communities also need water, so any further help will be greatly appreciated,” he added.
He also appealed to the chiefs and people of Kpedze to return management of their water system to Ghana Water Company Limited for better maintenance, explaining that past attempts at self-management had failed.
Representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Mr. Ignatius Kwamena Baidu said their support was guided by the biblical commandments to “Love God” and “Love your neighbour.”
“These projects are an expression of that love,” he said. “For the past five years, GrowthAid has been a trusted partner in bringing tangible improvements to communities.”
The chiefs and residents of Kpedze-Anoe expressed deep gratitude for the restored water supply, recalling the hardships they endured in fetching water for domestic use—challenges that often disrupted education, reduced productivity, and impacted health.
“With this system, we will no longer face the daily struggle of finding clean water,” a resident said with relief.
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