From the Jamaica Gleaner:

The village of Konkonuru in Ghana has been suffering from water problems for years. The small community has an estimated population of 3,000 persons, many of who do not have access to potable water.

Now the Rita Marley Foundation (RMF) and Water for Humanity (WFH) have decided to help the villagers.

According to a release sent to The Gleaner, Konkonuru has approximately 300 households, each with an average of 10 persons. In 2000, the community benefited from three boreholes that were installed by the RMF. These were the main source of water for the community, but with the population expanding each year, the demand for more water sources has grown.

Currently, only 20 per cent of homes in the community have pipe-borne water, and according to Rosemary Duncan, manager at the RMF, the deficiency needs to be addressed.

“To remedy these dire water problems that overwhelm the Konkonuru community, the Rita Marley Foundation (Jamaica) acquired grant funding from Water for Humanity for construction of three additional boreholes,” she explained in the press release before going on to express gratitude to WFH for their assistance.

In addition to constructing the well-needed boreholes, the RMF also provided training on water conservation for community residents, as well as lessons on how to treat water and keep it clean.

The Rita Marley Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation in Jamaica and Ghana. Its mission is to promote education, good health and welfare among the youth and socially and economically disadvantaged communities through educational and empowerment projects.

The foundation has various educational projects in Jamaica, including an annual back-to-school treat that provides school supplies for inner-city youth and scholarships for financially challenged students, runs public speaking and essay competitions for high schools and does reading skills programmes for basic schools.

The RMF also recently launched a penpal letter exchange programme to foster educational friendships between students in Jamaica and Ghana.