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News
Cargill expands sustainable safe water
access to Western North Region
Daily Graphic, Wednesday, May 4, 2022
AFAMU, Western North Region (April
28, 2022)
TEN mechanised solarpowered
water systems
have been constructed
and handed over to 10
cocoa-growing
communities in the
Western North Region.
The beneficiary communities are
Afamu, Nambro, Abrabra, Asafo and
Kantankrobo. The rest are Baakokrom,
Surano, Ntrentenso, Punikrom and
Kramokrom in the Bibiani-Anwiaso-
Bekwai and Sefwi Wiawso
municipalities.
The project is aimed at ensuring
access to Water, Sanitation and
Health (WASH) services in deprived
cocoa communities and was funded
by Cargill. It is expected that about
15,000 people will be directly and
indirectly impacted through this
project.
At a brief commissioning event
held at Afamu in the Western North
Region last Thursday, on the theme
“Expanding Sustainable Access to
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
(WASH) for Cocoa Growing
Communities” Cargill Ghana Limited,
together with its technical partner,
Safe Water Network (SWN), officially
handed over the water facilities to the
communities.
The projects were fully funded by
Cargill Ghana Limited.
On behalf of the people of
the area, the Abusuapanin of the
Sefwi Anwiaso Traditional Area,
Nana Kyem Kofi Ankoanna II, who
delivered a speech on behalf of the
Paramount Chief, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi
II, expressed gratitude to Cargill Ghana
and assured of the community’s
willingness to partner Cargill on its
community development sustainability
initiatives.
“I want to thank Cargill for being a
true partner to the communities in this
area. As a grateful people, I can assure you
that we will stick with you as our
preferred cocoa partner” he remarked.
Expanding access to water to rural
communities is key to government’s
agenda to improve livelihoods especially
for cocoa growing communities. This was
iterated by a speech read on behalf of the
Western North Regional Minister, Hon.
Richard Ebbah Obeng, by the Spokesman
for the Western North Region, Hon. John
Koah. He commended Cargill’s
sustainability initiative and underscored
the importance of potable water to the
lives of Ghanaians living in rural
communities.
“The United Nations Development
Goal 6 of providing safe and affordable
water for all by the year 2030 cannot be
achieved by the government alone. It is in
the light of this that I want to commend
highly Cargill Ghana Ltd for supporting
communities with safe and affordable
water to augment’ government’s effort”
• From left: Nana Amoakyei II, Chief of Afamu; Aedo van der Weij, Cargill MD, Charles
Nimako, Country Director of Safe Water Network Ghana; John Koah, Spokesperson,
Western North Region, and Nana Kyem Kofi Ankoanna II
Sustainability Country
Lead for Cargill Ghana,
Samuel Apana, said the
project forms part of
the company’s
Community Wellbeing
Strategic Action Plan
linked to the United
Nations' Sustainable
Development Goal
(SDG) 6 of providing
safe and affordable
water for all by 2030.
he said.
The beneficiary communities, who
have been part of Cargill's sourcing
network and the Cargill Cocoa Promise
since 2017, were selected based on a
Community Action Plan (CAP)
development and a needs assessment in
collaboration with CARE International.
Sustainability Country Lead for
Cargill Ghana, Samuel Apana, said the
project forms part of the company’s
Community Wellbeing Strategic Action
Plan linked to the United Nations'
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 of
providing safe and affordable water for
all by 2030. The project, he also said, is in
line with delivering benefits under the
Cargill Cocoa Promise, which is the
company’s sustainability strategy.
“The commissioning of the waterprojects
today not only demonstrates our
commitment under the Cargill Cocoa
Promise to improve the wellbeing of
farmers and their communities, but also
our resolve to partner with customers
who have established water goals as part
of their sustainability strategies to
realize their ambitions” Mr Apana said.
Management and operation of these
water systems is community-led. The
solar water systems will be owned by the
local Assemblies in the area and will be
operated and maintained by community
Water & Sanitation Management Teams
(WMSTs) and Operators, who have been
trained as part of this project. These
teams will be responsible for the
installed water systems and will be
carrying out maintenance and repair
works, if need be, with proceeds from the
sale of water from the system.
As part of Cargill’s global water
commitments, the company works in
partnership with the Global Water
Challenge (GWC) on implementing new
water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
efforts in Ghana, Cameroun, and Côte
d’Ivoire. These initiatives are expected to
benefit over 100,000 people in 26 highneed
communities across four of Cargill’s
priority watersheds.
• The mechanised solar-powered
water system
About Safe Water Network Gh.
To date, Safe Water Network Gh.
has implemented [500] small water
enterprises in Ghana and India,
providing access to safe, reliable,
affordable water to over 1.6 million
underserved consumers beyond the
reach of piped water networks.
It has spearheaded the design and
implementation of small water
enterprises, applying private-sector
principles to expand and strengthen
water supply in peri-urban, small
town, and large rural communities.
Using its extensive field
experience to date, it has developed a
standardized implementation
methodology, digital tools and
monitoring systems, and
sustainability standards to support
the efficient launch and
management of small-scale water
systems.
Since 2009, Safe Water Network
Gh. has implemented an integrated
program to build the national SWE
sector in Ghana. Across 133
communities, SWN's 93 microutilities
provide access to access to
safe, reliable, affordable water to over
420,000 consumers in Ghana.
About Cargill Ghana Limited
Cargill's 155,000 employees across 70
countries work relentlessly to achieve
its purpose of nourishing the world in a
safe, responsible and sustainable way.
Every day, it connects farmers with
markets, customers with ingredients,
and people and animals with the food
they need to thrive.
It combines 155 years of experience
with new technologies and insights to
serve as a trusted partner for food,
agriculture, financial and industrial
customers in more than 125 countries.
Side-by-side, Cargill is building a
stronger, sustainable future for
agriculture.
For more information, visit
Cargill.com and its News Center.