Waterborne diseases in Boakwa M/A Basic School rampant – Headmaster

Waterborne diseases among the pupils at Boakwa Municipal Assembly (MA) Basic School in the Jomoro Constituency of the Western Region are rampant due to the water they consumed.

Pupils in the school with a population of over 15,000 have been drinking the water for years.

This came to light when the Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, commissioned a new pipe-borne water project for the school.

The old source of water was dug by an oil company that worked in the area years ago, but the pupils had no option but to make use of it.

This is because, the school, until recently, had no portable water supply.

A Primary 6 pupil, Abraham Foli, said: “I feel pains in my stomach whenever I drink the water, but because we do not have any source of water in the school, we were forced to drink it.”

“When I complained to my parent they said they would take me out of the school but the teachers teach well that is why I am still in the school,” he explained.

Edmond, also a pupil, said “My stomach aches when I drink this water. I complained to my parents and they said I should not drink it again but there is no water around the school. This is the only water we can drink”.

Another pupil, Martha Tainatta, said, “I feel itches in my throat whenever I take the water, but we cannot stop drinking it because we do not have any source of water.”

The Headmaster of the school, Paul Ndabiah Adjei, said “The children were always complaining about the waterborne disease and now that we have this, all the complaints will be a thing of the past”.

He said, “Now we are in a global world. ICT is ruling that world but we do not have electricity let alone talk about computers”.

Light and computer…we are in a global world

Mr. Adjei said, “Because there is no electricity in the school, so when you are moving around at night, you see torch lights in the school and by the time day breaks, you see condoms in all the classrooms”.

The Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency, Dorcas Affo Toffey, said she planned to do mechanized water for the school but because there is no electricity in the school, she went for the pipe-borne water.

She said the water which was being consumed was a worry to the community but thankfully, she has been able to solve that challenge.

On the electricity, Madam Toffey promised to extend power to the school before the supply of the computers.

She said most teachers have left because of the electricity and water situation and she is willing to solve it.

By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news.com|Ghana