Solar water system cuts Sawaba’s water trips from 90 minutes to five

Residents of Sawaba in the North East Region now have running water within their community after Austria handed over a solar-powered water supply system on Monday, October 26.

According to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the facility serves about 650 people and has cut the time spent collecting water from around 90 minutes to roughly five. Women and children, who did most of the fetching, are expected to benefit most.

The system was funded by the Austrian Government and delivered through Brave Aurora, an Austrian civil society organisation, with additional volunteer contributions and private donations.

Austrian Ambassador to Ghana Jürgen Heissel handed over the project at a ceremony that also marked Austria’s National Day. He said the embassy had chosen to hold the celebration in the North East rather than in Accra to draw attention to projects that are changing lives in communities.

Mr Heissel said water was basic to dignity and health, and that freeing children from long water trips would give them more time for school. He said Brave Aurora had worked in the region for 18 years, growing from a child protection effort into a wider programme on livelihoods and local markets.

North East Regional Minister Ibrahim Tia thanked Austria and its partners, saying the system would improve health, sanitation and education in the area.

The Chief of Sawaba, Naa Gbanadaana, called it a historic day for his people and thanked Brave Aurora for its ongoing support for education, child protection and skills training. The Ambassador urged the community to take ownership of the facility and maintain it properly.

Why it matters

Access to safe water remains a daily struggle in many rural parts of the North East, created in 2019 as one of Ghana’s six new regions. Solar-powered systems avoid fuel and grid costs, but their long-term value depends on communities keeping them in repair.

Source: Ghana News Agency — gna.org.gh