Kwahu Ridge SHTS Student In Danger as They depend on polluted water for survival

Kwahu Ridge SHTS Student Fetching Water

THE LIVES of over one thousand three hundred students of Kwahu Ridge Senior High and Technical School in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern region are in serious danger as students depend on a heavily polluted water found in the valley of a forest for survival due to lack of portable water in the school.

Students frequently fall sick and are often attacked by cholera,typhoid and develop strange skin diseases due to the polluted water which is used for bathing, washing and drinking.

The private vehicle of the senior housemaster is always on standby to transport sick students to the hospital for emergency medical care since the school also lacks vehicles.

A visit by the Daily Heritage to the school witnessed students trekking miles into the valley in a forest to fetch water form a small river which has been polluted by water flowing from guttersjoining the river from the community.

Many of the students were seen washing at the river side while some male students were also seen bathing.

Ayittey Laurita, a second year student who hails from Accra expressed her frustrations about the condition of the school and disclosed to the paper her intention to exit the school since the conditions are not helping her academically.

Theposition of Laurita was shared by many other female students who want their parents to take them out of the school.

The assistant headmaster of the school,Rev.Danso-Dokusaid the water situation is affecting academic standard since students use part of lesson time in search of water.

He said a total amount of GH¢1,000.00 is spent every week to provide the kitchen water for cooking and other domestic use.According to Rev.Doku,this is having adverse effect on the finances of the school.

He explained that,attempts by the old students of the school to provide borehole has proven futile since the two boreholes drilled failed to hit water.

Rev.Doku on behalf of the school is, therefore,appealing to government,philanthropists and citizens of Kwahu both home and abroad to come to the aid of the school.

Edmund Duodu,a nurse and Priscilla Asamoah, a student of the University of Ghana both alumni who were in the school to motivate students not to be discouraged by conditions in the school also expressed worry over the aggravating water shortage in the school.

They hinted that the old students in their own small waywill come together to contribute their quota to mitigate the effect.

Kwahu Ridge Senior High and Technical School established in 1965 as a training college was turned into a secondary institution with very limited facility in 2009.

The school was temporary closed down by the Eastern Regional Directorate of Ghana Education Service following a three-day demonstration by the then students over what they called deplorable condition at the school.