Savelugu School for the Deaf and Dumb cries for water

Savelugu(N/R), Dec.1, GNA - The Savelugu School for the Deaf and Dumb in the Savelugu-Nanton District has no access to potable water, compelling the students to walk about two kilometers to the only dam within the community to have their bath.

As a result, the school authorities used their meagre finances to buy water from tanker drivers for the school's domestic activities. Mrs. Atoriyah Immaculate, Headmistress of the school told the visiting United States Ambassador in Ghana, Mrs Pamela Bridgewater on Wednesday that the authorities spent between 1.2 million cedis and 1.5 million cedis to buy water.

Mrs. Bridgewater was at the school to acquaint herself with activities of the school and also visit a Peace Corps Volunteer who teaches Visual Arts at the school on the last day of her tour of some communities within the Tamale Metropolis and Savelugu-Nanton District. Mrs. Immaculate said: "The students now have their bath at the dam site, and also have to fetch the water and carry it to the school for the next day's bath. This is a burden on the children and also affects teaching and learning."

She said some NGOs tried to provide the school with a borehole facility but abandoned the idea due to difficulties in getting underground water at the school site.

Some of the students who interacted with the Ambassador in the sign language, which was interpreted to her, appealed for a tanker for the school to help address the water problem to enhance teaching and learning.

They also appealed to the United States Embassy to provide them with a dormitory to ease congestion.

Mrs. Bridgewater advised the students not to be disturbed because they were physically challenged, saying: "You still have other talents that you need to unearth to enable you contribute your quota to the development of society."

"You should know that you have an important role to play in the development of society," she added.

Mrs. Bridgewater visited Duko to inspect an agricultural initiative by USAID and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). She appealed to farmers who had benefited from the project to share their experiences and knowledge that they had acquired to others to help improve their standards of living.