In the sun-scorched community of Kalande, nestled in Ghana’s Salaga South Municipality, the struggle for clean water has become a daily battle.
Thousands of residents here face a grinding reality: a single mechanized borehole, donated by the KGL Foundation, serves a population of approximately 5,000 people.
While the donation has brought temporary relief, locals say it barely scratches the surface of a crisis that forces women and children to trek miles under blistering heat to collect water—a task that saps time, energy, and opportunity.
“We are grateful, but one borehole cannot sustain us,” said Nana Apempamade II, the community’s chief, during a recent interview. His words underscore a stark truth in northern Ghana, where access to potable water remains a persistent hurdle. The region’s dry season exacerbates the scarcity, turning rivers to dust and leaving families reliant on dwindling reserves. For Kalande’s women, the burden is particularly acute. Yaa Kadah, a mother of three, described her routine as a “test of endurance.” She spends hours each day navigating uneven terrain with heavy buckets. “This isn’t just physical pain—it’s time stolen from our children, our farms, our lives,” she said.
Local leaders argue the water shortage isn’t merely an inconvenience but a barrier to progress. Imoro Charles, Kalande’s assemblyman, emphasized the ripple effects: children missing school to aid their mothers, families unable to invest in livelihoods, and a cycle of poverty entrenched by the daily scramble for survival. “How can we grow as a community when our people are exhausted by something as basic as water?” he asked.
The KGL Foundation, which installed the lone borehole, acknowledges the need for broader intervention. Nii Ankonu Annorbah-Sarpei, the foundation’s programmes manager, cited ongoing efforts to support water-stressed communities, aligning with Ghana’s Sustainable Development Goals. Nine northern communities now have functional water systems thanks to the initiative, he noted, but gaps remain. “Our work doesn’t stop here,” Annorbah-Sarpei pledged during the borehole’s commissioning ceremony.
Yet optimism in Kalande is tempered by urgency. While the chief has urged residents to protect the new borehole—calling it a “lifeline for generations”—the community’s plea for additional support grows louder. Without more infrastructure, analysts warn, health risks like waterborne diseases could surge, and economic stagnation may deepen.
Behind the statistics lies a human story of resilience. Families here cling to hope that their cries for help will echo beyond the arid plains of the north. For now, Kalande’s women continue their daily marches, their voices united in a single demand: water, not just to survive, but to thrive.
