This water is used for drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning and washing clothes.
The water from the dam is out in the open, and it is also used by many animals such as cows to cool off and bathe. Therefore, it can sometimes be contaminated with bacteria that is not healthy to drink. However, it is the only water available (besides buying a water bottle) if someone is thirsty.
The community has this need because Northern Ghana is very hot and dry. Water is extremely scarce in this climate. The only time it is available is when it rains. There are no water pipes or taps in my community because it is very expensive because water would need to be transported in from far away. Northern Ghana is also in a drought which means that it is raining less and less every year.
This need is being met with the construction of boreholes! Boreholes are machines that take water from underground and bring it up to the surface. It is then collected in a large tank so people can access it at any time. There is not only much more water underground, but it is also much cleaner. Becase it is so deep underground, there is less contamination.
My community did not have any boreholes. One of my projects that I am doing with Peace Corps is to build two boreholes. One for the community to use and one for the school to use. Once they are built, my community will have access to clean water and won't have to walk as far!
