The following blog was written by Allen Gula, co-founder of Global Brigades Ghana. You can check out Allen’s personal blog here.
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Villagers in Ekumfi Egyankwa translate the word ‘Ebura’ to a ‘Well’; where One fetches water for drinking and using in the home. An Ebura is a community water project in that residents of the village are requested to work to expand the depth and size of the dug out hole for water collection. Men take turns with pick axes and shovels digging out dirt from the center of this water collection point; women use head pans to transport the dirt away from the work site.
Community members involve themselves in labor projects like these because of the lack of access to clean water sources in Central Ghana. This community has no piped water system nor functioning bore hole to draw ground water. Citizens have to walk great distances to fetch water from flowing rivers. In response to these conditions, villagers work together to dig an ‘Ebura’ prior to the rainy season. When rain arrives it will collect in the area of lower elevation in Ekumfi Egyankwa- gathering the village’s trash, animal excrement and other contaminants along the way. Villagers fetch the water daily for cooking, bathing, washing dishes/laundry and everything else the rest of the world uses water for in everyday life.
Drinking and bathing with contaminated water sources on a daily basis increases the potential that you may have diarrhea, dermatological infections and even water born viruses. In honor of World Water Day, take a moment to reflect on the importance of clean water in your life. Dedicate time to providing clean water in rural communities here: http://www.globalbrigades.org/programs/water/objective/
