Mantukwa Will Never Walk to the River Again 💧

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As I scrool through photos of Mantukwa on launch day, I see something that many may never see again – a community crossing a line that cannot be crossed back over.

In order to comprehend the significance of this moment, you need to know how this moment began. #Borehole26 initially represented a promise – a community over 800 in population who relied solely upon a polluted creek beneath a wooden bridge (where schoolchildren leave classes to go twenty to thirty minutes away) to provide them with drinking water. Their drinking water was unhealthy and time-consuming. This had been the "normal" for generations.

The journey from this beginning point to the final project meeting point went through every step we consider as the norm. The funding for the project came from the Pflaum family -- a donation made in memory of their daughter, Gracie, who believed that all people matter and that when you can help others, then you should. After completing meetings with Mantukwa's chief and elders, who welcomed the project with open arms and gave the project their blessings, we completed a professional geophysical survey confirming that there was substantial water under the community. When we drilled for water, we found clean, abundant water at an acceptable rate.

After the drilling was complete, the next phase of the project involved construction. The pump was installed, and a durable building was erected to house the storage tank; the water was then tested and treated. Clean water must be proven safe; therefore, testing and treating of the water was necessary. Before launching the project, our team returned to the area to educate the Water Management Committee members regarding the maintenance of the water point and to conduct WASH education. This ensured that once our team departed, the community would be able to manage, protect and maintain this water point.

Each phase of the project was documented and published here. Therefore, all phases were in place prior to launch day.

Launch day ceremonies commenced at 10 am and continued until 11:30 am, which included both prayer that opened and closed the ceremonies, led by the district pastor. Launch day represented a genuine community gathering of nearly 180 individuals, inclusive of nearly 120 students from Mantukwa. The Chief of Mantukwa, Nana Oppong Kyekyeku II, hosted the occasion. He extended invitations to two Paramount Chiefs from neighbouring communities along with his sub-chiefs, headmasters/teachers and inhabitants of Mantukwa and surrounding towns who will also utilise this water.

WellsForAll was present in numbers as well – representing a total of ten people from project manager/supervisor down to field personnel and media representatives. Two major television networks in Ghana, Oyerepa TV and Ultimate TV, attended the event and recorded and aired it nationally.

However, the majority of this day belonged to the youth. The students of Mantukwa performed a cultural dance/choreography that depicted their own story – the story of their no longer having to make the lengthy trek (twenty to thirty minutes each way) they had made for decades to obtain unsafe drinking water.

The students provided statements of appreciation, while holding cardboard signs stating "Thank you, Pflaum family." For a community whose biggest concern had been their children leaving school early to collect their unsafe drinking water, seeing these same children dance celebrating this milestone was overwhelming. On behalf of WellsForAll, Benjamin Awuah, our Project Supervisor spoke directly concerning what it really represents for a community to have access to safe, clean drinking water -- not merely as an amenity, but as a foundation for health, dignity and a better tomorrow.

Joy was evident throughout; however, it was most apparent at the water spigot. Residents assembled to take advantage of their new water supply. In doing this seemingly simple action, you can see years of hardships being lifted off of them. During an interview, one of the residents stated that protecting this project is now their number-one responsibility -- to assist the Water Management Committee with making their jobs easier -- or put another way, ownership. The Chairman of the Water Management Committee described it as the best gift that has occurred for Mantukwa, and he expressed heartfelt thanks to both the Pflaum Family and WellsForAll.

Because we believe clean water and education represent an equal investment in any community, we presented nearl;y 150 WellsForAll branded notebooks to the school children during this day. WellsForAll has a significant interest in developing educational programs for the communities we support and providing these notebooks represents a small portion of a larger commitment to ensure that the children of Mantukwa do not only drink safely, but learn as well.

Twenty-six boreholes. More than 20,000 people. And one more community stepping into safety with regard to unsafe drinking water for good. Thank you to the Pflaum Family, to Nana Oppong Kyekyeku II and his people, and to Gracie, whose name this water bears – thank you. The water is running in Mantukwa, and it will continue to run. 💧

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