On 13th March, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), and Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) and the Asokore Mampong municipality celebrated the completion of a two-year project to bring access to safe, affordable water to 45,000 individuals across six low-income communities in Kumasi, Ghana.
The ceremony, which was attended by The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Asokore Mampong municipality, Alidu Seidu, was part of the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), Coca-Cola’s response to the water crises communities across Africa are facing.
This ceremony marked the completion of a more than $900,000 USD investment that built capacity within GWCL to extend municipal water service to low-income communities and adopt effective, sustainable, and scalable models of pro-poor urban water services.
WSUP, which has a strong background in developing urban water projects, designed the programme with GWCL to ensure successful adoption and sustainability upon project completion.
Alongside the MCE, attendees included Ing. Cephas Oguaa, Chief Corporate Manager of Ghana Water Company Limited and Nana Adu Gyamfi V, the local chief of Adukrom.
Nearly half of Kumasi’s 2.5 million residents live in informal settlements, often without water services. To address this challenge, the project constructed 75 standpipes in Asokore Mampong Municipal and Atwima Nwabiagya districts, providing improved access to safe water for over 45,000 individuals.
This infrastructure was coupled with the establishment of Community Management Committees (CMCs), which economically empowered community members, 60 of whom were women, through training in standpipe operations and maintenance.
Musah Issaka Balima, WSUP Country Programme Manager for Ghana, said: “WSUP is proud to support Ghana Water Company Limited in its mission of providing water access to all Ghanaians, including the poorest urban residents. With backing from the Coca-Cola Company, we can make a difference to more people’s lives in Ghana.”
During the ceremony, the project was officially handed over to GWCL and the CMCs. The standpipes are now part of GWCL’s larger water network and being managed by the utility, while CMCs will oversee the management of the facilities locally.
Ing. Cephas Oguaa, GWCL Chief Corporate Affairs Manager said; “GWCL appreciate the partnership with WSUP and Coca-Cola. What we appreciate most is not just the infrastructure components that the partnership has delivered but the software aspects such as the focus on selecting and training vendors and community management committees. GWCL is committed to ensure sustainable use and maintenance of the water systems to the benefit of the beneficiary communities.”
This is the 10th project from TCCF and WSUP’s long-standing partnership developing pro-poor urban water programmes in Africa. Since 2011, the two entities have provided over 580,000 individuals in low-income urban centres across Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia with improved water access and empowered these communities and local water utilities to manage their water systems.
TCCF and WSUP currently have two ongoing projects in Mozambique and Madagascar that are improving water access for an additional 500,000 people.
Read more about the partnership between WSUP and The Coca-Cola Company
“Clean and reliable water supply is essential to every facet of life in Ghana, supporting health, education, business and our daily lives,” said Dorcas Onyango, Director Programs and Partnerships, Sustainability Initiatives, Coca-Cola Africa. “Coca-Cola is proud to support the government as it works to deliver better services – including water and sanitation – for people across Ghana.”
This project serves as the business case for GWCL to scale up the model and extend water services to more low-income customers in Kumasi. Through this experience, GWCL is better equipped to managed pro-poor urban water schemes and further provide this essential resource to communities across the country.
Read more about WSUP’s work in Ghana.
Top image: Adiza Mohammad, a local resident, filling up with water