Installatie waterproject Ghana afgerond

Water is life and he who brings water brings life

Deze week bereikte ons het bericht uit Ghana dat de installatie van twee nieuwe watertanks is afgerond:

“As the saying goes, “Water is life and he who brings water brings life”. In a nut shell, that is what this support of yours means to us at CTI.

By of way of conclusion, I would on behalf of the Provincial Council of the Brothers Fic – Ghana Province, the Proprietor of the school, the staff and students of Catholic Technical Institute – Sunyani, express our deep sense of gratitude and appreciation to your Rotary Club for granting our request to wholly finance our school water project. Indeed, your swift and favourable response (support of € 10,000.00) to our desperate cry for help, has given us some sight of relief and hope for the future in our bit to provide good quality Technical/Vocational Education to the youth in this part of the country.”

CATHOLIC TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

For the Attention of:

MR. TON VOORTMAN.

ROTARY CLUB INTERNATIONAL

THE NETHERLANDS

Dear Mr. Voortman,

REPORT/STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT ON WATER PROJECT FOR CATHOLIC TECHNICAL INSTITUTE (CTI) – SUNYANI, GHANA.

Please find below details of accounts statement on the water project for Catholic Technical Institute – Sunyani for your study and necessary action. It took about four months to execute this project. Major reason for the delay being cash flow as I had to borrow money here there to get things done. Just two days ago, the Fic Provincial Bursar – Ghana, formally informed me he had transferred GHc 15,000.00 (and equivalent of 7,500.00 Euros which you send) into the school’s account. With this, I can pay off some of the outstanding loans pending the arrival of the rest of 2,500 Euros.

As can be seen from the statement, the total cost of the project was twenty thousand and thirty Ghana Cedis (GHc 20,030.00). We just managed to stay within budget. This was possible because we did all those things we could do ourselves rather than give them out on contract. For example, all excavations and back filling were undertaken by students as part of their weekly ground work activities. Also, all electrical designs and installation work were carried out by students under teachers’ supervision. All these activities if put together and valued would cost over GHc 2,500.00. This was a direction contribution of staff and students to the project execution in the face of the budget available.

Initially, the water tower was intended to be of concrete. However, at the time of project approval, it was realized that, to go down that lane, would have increased cost as well as taken much longer time to complete. Hence galvanized steel pipes tower was opted for with all measures taken to ensure that quality and durability is not compromised for cost reduction. The tower foundation was dug to a depth of over 1m to hard core ground and cast with rich mass concrete to receive the water tower. All vertical pipes of the tower were re-enforced with rich concrete to increase their load bearing capacity as well as reduce/eliminate any internal rust that might start over time. All metal parts of the tower are being given red oxide(anti-rust) painting to preserve them. The top of the tower was leveled with hard wooden planks to provide even floor for the poly tanks.

From the yield test results, the borehole is only capable of giving 5litres of water/minute at peek dry season. Giving the low water yield of the well, a 0.75Kw, 230V, Hz electric water pump was recommended. The small size of the pump significantly brought down the cost of the water pump which enabled us to purchase two pieces so that one could serve as a spare. The electrical system has been designed to provide both under and over voltage protection giving the erratic nature of public electricity system here to which the school is connected. Adequate over current and earth leakage protection as well as dry well sensing have been provided. With the poly tanks equipped with a float switch and set to predetermined water levels, water pumping is fully automatic to ensure constant availability of sufficient water in the tanks at all times.

Distribution of water is mainly to essential areas in the school. One stand pipe is erected close to the students’ dormitory and bath house to provide easy access to water. Another pipe is mounted at a location not too far from the water tower in view of a future students’ hostel construction. Another tap is located at the new staff bungalow that is currently receiving finishing touches. Water closets and showers have been provided in this new building. A lockable metal cover is being constructed for the borehole for further protection from weather and any possible abuse. This hopefully would be mounted next week.

The completion of this project is thus, a timely intervention that has brought a big sigh of relief not only to students but also to people living around the school who own wells. The excitement of students in the accompanying pictures clearly shows it all. The daily academic time lost to searching for water, from now, would be a thing of the past. School community relations would improve, giving the school leadership more free mind to attend to other more important needs.

While the school last year embarked on a mission to source funding to permanently address the perennial problem of acute water supply to the school, the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the brothers Fic also engaged in ad hoc measures to improve on the environmental sanitary conditions in and around the school that has eliminated the rampant reported cases of dysentery that hitherto, was common among students in the school. To this end, the PTA provided a urinal and bath house whilst the Brothers Fic constructed a six-seater KVIP toilet. The provision of these facilities has eliminated the need for the bath house and water closets embedded in the students’ hostel.

With this background and also bringing to the fore, the problem of ever increasing pressure on the one and only available hostel facility in the school, we think it prudent now to expand the hostel facility by converting the fallow shower rooms and toilets embedded in the student hostel into additional hostel rooms that hopefully, can accommodate additional 20 students or more. The idea of providing rain water harvesting system in the school is still important and valid for us. However, with the current situation of available potable water from the mechanized borehole, the need for harvesting rain water is not as urgent as providing accommodation for over 20 students who daily have to foot over 4kilometers from nearby villages to attend classes in the school. Thus for now, the school would rather channel its little resources into expanding the current hostel facility to house some of its day students. The rain water harvesting system would be undertaken later, subject to availability of funds and needs priority.

There is no doubt that this generous and timely support accorded us (CTI - Sunyani), has an immediate and long term impact on the lives of the current staff and students of the school. Many others yet to come in the future would equally benefit from the facility provided. As the saying goes, “Water is life and he who brings water brings life”. In a nut shell, that is what this support of yours means to us at CTI.

By of way of conclusion, I would on behalf of the Provincial Council of the Brothers Fic – Ghana Province, the Proprietor of the school, the staff and students of Catholic Technical Institute – Sunyani, express our deep sense of gratitude and appreciation to your Rotary Club for granting our request to wholly finance our school water project. Indeed, your swift and favourable response (support of € 10,000.00) to our desperate cry for help, has given us some sight of relief and hope for the future in our bit to provide good quality Technical/Vocational Education to the youth in this part of the country.

No words can describe what this kind and generous support means to the school. What however can briefly be mentioned is our pledge to responsibly use the facility provided in a spirit of good maintenance culture for an elongated life span. May your effort and generous giving, find abundant blessings in the sight of Lord.

If there are any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Br. Seregeous Dery (Fic)

(Principal, CTI – Sunyani)

CATHOLIC TECHNICAL INSTITUTE (CTI) – SUNYANI, GHANA.

DETAILED STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT ON WATER PROJECT.

10^TH APRIL, 2011