By Jones Anlimah
Republic Bank PLC has handed over a mechanised water facility to Adidome Senior High School (ADISEC) in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region to help address the school’s longstanding water challenges and support the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on clean water and sanitation.
The project, inaugurated at a ceremony attended by the Volta Regional Minister, traditional authorities, district officials, and management of the bank, is expected to provide reliable potable water for students and staff of the school.
Headmaster of ADISEC, Dr. Vincent Dzidula Kwasi Atiku, described the intervention as timely and lifesaving, saying the school had struggled with severe water shortages for years.
“We have really gone through a water crisis. Our students are testimonies to this, panting for water and moving about in search of it,” he said.
Dr. Atiku expressed gratitude to Republic Bank and stakeholders for responding to the school’s plight, noting that the facility would significantly improve student welfare and academic life.
He, however, appealed for further support to improve sanitation infrastructure in the school, especially facilities used by female students.
“The pit latrine we have in use came with the establishment of the school 40 years ago. It has become very old and it is like a death trap that can collapse any day,” he stated.
Managing Director of Republic Bank PLC, Dr. Benjamin Dzoboku, said the project forms part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility initiative dubbed “Power to Make a Difference.”
According to him, the bank selected water and sanitation as one of four Sustainable Development Goals it is supporting in communities where it operates.
“Water, they say, is life because without water it is difficult for man to exist,” Dr. Dzoboku noted.
He said despite the abundance of water globally, many schools and communities still struggle to access safe drinking water, making such interventions necessary.
Dr. Dzoboku disclosed that the drilling process at Adidome SHS was challenging due to difficulties in locating underground water, but persistence eventually yielded positive results.
“Things that concern lives are sometimes difficult to get, but with perseverance, consistency and focus, it is possible,” he told the students.
He expressed optimism that with water now available on campus, students would have more time to focus on their studies instead of searching for water.
Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, said the project aligns with government’s broader efforts to tackle water challenges across the region and achieve universal access to clean water under SDG 6.
He revealed that the region requires more than 900 mechanised boreholes to adequately meet the water demands of schools and communities.
“In order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6, which talks about universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation, we need all hands on deck,” the Regional Minister stated.
Mr. Gunu commended Republic Bank for partnering government to improve water access in the region and urged the school authorities to establish a management committee to maintain the facility.
Chief of Adidome also praised the bank for what he described as a generous intervention that would ease the burden on students who previously trekked long distances in search of water.
“By providing this facility, it means the time students used to walk about looking for water can now be used to learn and rest,” he said.
The mechanised water system is expected to serve both the school and sections of the surrounding community.
