Inauguration of Solar Water Purifier At Anaafobiisi Primary

A team of young graduate engineers from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (CEESD), an NGO have provided pupils of Annafobiisi Primary School in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region with a solar water purifier for the treatment of fluoride contamination in their source of drinking water. The commissioning and handing over ceremony of the project which took place at the school premises is being supported by Vodafone foundation through the World of Difference Programme. The inauguration of the water solar distillation unit which is the first of its kind in the region attracted various community members including traditional chiefs drawn from Bongo and its catchment area. Representatives from Vodafone foundation, the District Health Directorate and the Ghana Education Service were present to grace the occassion. The Bongo district was chose for the said project due to the high incidence of fluoride in their source of drinking water, which are mainly hand dug wells and boreholes. As a result of the high fluoride contamination in their water, most people particularly children between the ages of 1-5 years have unpleasant colourization of the teeth with health and others social implications. The colourization of the teeth which often make it brown and black is known in medical terms as ‘flourosis’. The provision of the solar water purifier is therefore aimed at addressing the issue of dental flourosis in the district. The facility which is an apparatus that makes use of the sun radiation to generate steam from liquid water and subsequently condenses the steam into pure distilled water is capable of providing a litre of water to each pupil at the Anaafobiisi School. One of the initiators of the project who is also an it expert, Mr Frank Mensah said the project tagged ‘SOWDA’ is expected to yield positive results since samples of the distillate have been analyzed, approved and declared by the Ghana water Company Limited as safe for drinking. The results of the samples he indicated show very low concentration of fluoride ions, far below the accepted Ghana/WHO standards for drinking water. Mr. Mensah said in cases where there are excessive concentrations of fluoride ions, the ions will be left in the residue while the distillate will be free from any contamination. On the issue of sustainability, he said personnel have been trained to maintain and repair the facility when it develops any fault. The Regional Coordinator for Vodafone in-charge of the three northern regions, Abdul Majeed Inusa, pledged his outfit continuous support to towards the realization of its set objective and appealed to the beneficiaries to help prolong its lifespan. The headmaster of Annafobiisi Primary School, Mr. Atabire Joseph Ayamga was grateful to the young graduate engineers for putting their knowledge and skills to the benefit of mankind. He pledged to put the facility to good since it has come to address some of the health challenges affecting the community and the district in general
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