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Royal Engineers bring fresh hope and clean water to Ghana

Published Friday 21st October 2005

Sappers from 521 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Water Development) strike water as they train in drilling for water at their base in Chetwynd Barracks, Nottingham [Picture: Chris Fletcher]

Lance Corporal Joe Birch, aged 22 from 521 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Water Development), will be travelling to Northern Ghana to drill wells and install a fresh water supply for remote villages [Picture: Chris Fletcher]

Lance Corporal Ed Seymour, aged 24 from 521 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Water Development), will be part of a six-man team of specialist Royal Engineers from the Army who will be travelling to Northern Ghana along with members of St Dunstan's, the charity set up to aid blind ex-service personnel [Picture: Chris Fletcher]

A six hour walk for water will become a thing of the past for thousands of Ghanaians when a team of Royal Engineers install a water pipeline that will deliver water at the turn of a tap.

The six-man team from 521 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Water Development), part of 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group, based at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell, will be working on the six week project in Northern Ghana, together with St Dunstan's, the charity that provides life-long care for blind ex-service men and women.

The project is the first phase of a long term water aid project in the region being undertaken by St Dunstans.

The 5.7km pipeline, which will be connected to the existing water infrastructure, will supply fresh water to the villages of Kpalusogu and Koshibu in Northern Ghana. Local villagers will complete the work, overseen by the Royal Engineers. They will also install latrines in the village at the end of the pipeline, the village of Koshibu.

Captain Brian Duff who will lead the six man team said:

"We will hire the equipment from the local area and local villagers will complete the work. The village chiefs will probably direct who works on the project and on which day.

"Using the local villagers rather than employing local contractors to complete the work may mean that the job takes a little bit longer, but it is vitally important that the villagers themselves play a part."

He continued:

"They are a proud people and need to take ownership of the project. They are willing to do the work, but they need the direction and need to be shown how to do it correctly. If they didn't help complete the pipeline it is highly likely that they wouldn’t look after it."

The villagers themselves have raised 15% of the funds needed to extend the pipeline from the existing water infrastructure; the remaining funding has been raised by St Dunstans.

Captain Duff said:

"There is a real buzz on the team about the project. We are looking forward to the trip and the opportunity to use our skills for such a worthwhile cause. It will also be good training for the men."

Leading the project is "St Dunstaner" David Stuttard, an ex-Royal Engineer, who was left blind after loosing his battle with diabetes:

"The Tolon-Kumbunga district of Northern Ghana has some of the highest incidences of visual impairment in Africa. The foremost cause of the epidemic is as a direct result of Trachoma."

Caused by bacteria, Trachoma spreads rapidly in communities where people don't have enough water to wash their hands and face regularly and can be prevented by simply washing with as little as one litre of clean water each day.

The five top causes of death in the area are malaria, guinea worm, diarrhoea, pneumonia and dysentery. Of these five diseases, four can be prevented with the provision of clean water.

David continued:

"The installation of the pipeline will mean better sanitation and hygiene for the villagers which will reduce the numbers of people who needlessly lose their sight through water related disease.

"It will also mean the time that had been spent walking to collect the water every day can be sent in a more productive manor, for example making and selling soap, teaching and cooking – the list is endless."

David, who will deploy to Ghana with the Royal Engineers, will spend time showing the local people who have lost their sight how to overcome their blindness and go on to lead an improved life and no longer feel a burden on their community. Helping him deliver the lessons on good hygiene practices and sanitation will be two Army medics from 5 General Support Medical Regiment.

"Wherever you are in the world, returning back to full time employment after loosing your sight is often a daunting and problematic experience.

"Our aim is to help the Ghanaian people who have found themselves in that situation re-gain their confidence and once again feel confident to support themselves. We will be showing them how to make soap for example, so that they can be financially independent."

The local people will also be taught about the importance of hygiene and how it can prevent blindness.

But it's not just the Ghanaian people who will benefit from the project; it is also the St Dunstaners themselves. David explains:

"The project will provide full time employment opportunities for other St Dunstaners. St Dunstaners will have the opportunity to go out to Ghana to take part in the educational programme; teaching the people about the importance of hygiene and sanitation whilst working with some of their former colleagues."

St Dunstan's water aid project will be working hand in hand with an ongoing project set up by the Nottingham Christian Centre, based in the same Tolon-Kumbunga region.

Captain Sean Milner, the Second in Command of 521 STRE (Water Development) who is a member of the Christian Centre explained:

"In 2000 the Church bought 42 acres of land in Ghana. Its aim was to develop a village on the land which would provide education, healthcare, vocational training and clean water to the communities in the district.

"The Church has already started to build the school. It currently serves 80 pupils and each year a new classroom is built to cater for the children moving up to the next year. The first phase of the medical centre has been built and is due to be completed in 2006. The next project was to look at how to improve the water supply, however the church did not have the knowledge or the experience. It is easier to build a school and medical centre than it is to lay pipeline. We already had the existing land to build upon, but we knew that we would have to go outside the area if we were to lay pipes and provide fresh running water.

"At around the same time St Dunstan's contacted 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group, to discuss any water projects which perhaps they could become involved in."

Captain Milner explained about the project at his church and the three parties agreed that it was a project that they could all work on together.

"It just all fell into place. It just so happened that St Dunstan's contacted me at the same time my church was considering how they could improve the water supply in the region. We, the Royal Engineers, had the experience and qualifications to complete the work, and it would be good training for ourselves and the idea just grew from there."

The Royal Engineers and David Stuttard will leave for Ghana on Saturday, 22 October 2005.

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