I recently had the privilege of visiting Oyombo, a small village in the Yendi Municipality in the Northern Region. To get to Oyombo, you drive on a dusty road that zigzags, with very little life and activity on the way. The dusty red-earth road leading to Oyombo reminds you that the only reason you are going there is because you had decided to go there. You do not get there on your way to some other place. You can bet that the road to Oyombo will not see a lick of tar for the next hundred or so years.
The residents belong to the Konkomba ethnic group. The community is tucked away in the vast savannah stretch of land about 30 minutes’ drive from Yendi, the municipal capital. We might have forgotten about Oyombo as part of Ghana. But then, when you notice the mounds after mounds of freshly planted yams nearby, you realise that these are serious hard-working farmers, who feed you and me.
You will not know that the fried yams, together with the tilapia and shito you ate in Accra or Kumasi yesterday, was planted and harvested by a subsistence farmer in Oyombo and its surrounding areas, as well as in many other forgotten and ignored rural farming communities of our country. Fact: rural people feed urban folks.
OYOMDO HAS NO WATER
Yet, the residents of this community have no access to clean safe water. They compete for water with animals and fishermen. Their only source of water is a stream that is located some walking distance away from the village. When they arrive at the stream, they have to pause to literally strategize and negotiate their way with cattle, which also stop by for a drink, followed by a swim—if they so desire. The water drinking and other water usage activities of the animals make the water muddy. Fact: cows do not care about water quality. For them, water is water.
As if dealing with cattle was not enough, itinerant fisher folks often stop by the stream to fish. The fishing activities further muddies the water. The fishermen only care about making a good catch. If in the process, they render the water muddier than they found it, they walk away with their catch. For their purposes, fish protein is king!
But for the people of Oyombo, water is life! As is the culture, women and children are the ones with the responsibility of walking long distances to the stream, carrying pans to fetch water, and walking back home to undertake the hard task of cooking and cleaning. Pregnant women are not spared from this strenuous water-fetching ordeal.
So if the women and children arrive at the stream at a time when animals and fishermen are already there, then they are out of luck. They have two choices: walk back to the village with empty pans, or fetch the muddy water, carry it home, and wait for the dirt to settle. Often, they do the latter—carry home muddy water. The quality of the water is the type privileged people in this same country Ghana will not use to wash their vehicles or water their plush gardens. But since that is the only water Oyombo people have access to, they use it anyway—for cooking and washing, and sadly, they drink it. The people of Oyombo are water poor!
The elders of the community acknowledge that the water table in the area is very low so they do not have much luck to get water from the bore holes they dig. But problems are meant to be solved. If Ghana cares enough (or even a little bit), modern mechanized boreholes could be dug to access water from further down the belly of the earth. But Oyombo people live very far off from the national radar and priority.
As if water poverty was not enough, the people of Oyombo live in total darkness because they are far from the national electricity grid and plans. It is tough to comprehend why the producers of food for our national baskets and plates are left to their own fate.
It is therefore time for the state of Ghana to take real interest in the quality of life of our people (all of our people), to ensure that we all have water. After wall, water is life! The theme for this year’s United Nations’ World Water Day is: Leaving No One Behind: Water is a Human Right. Yes, the UN maintains that access to safe water is a human right. The state of Ghana must therefore stop violating the human rights of the people of Oyombo and the many small communities, as well as the residents of urban areas (including my own neighbourhood in Accra) by providing us with safe water. This should be a national priority matter.
OYOMBO PEOPLE ARE CIVILIZED; ATTAINED ODF STATUS
Outward appearances can be misleading. The residents of Oyombo may not have much but are more civilized than several communities of our big cities. What is the evidence of civilization? Two years ago, the residents of Oyombo stopped open defecation.
Two environmental health and safety officials from the Yendii assembly visited the community and noticed that open defecation was rampant all around the outskirts of the village. The officials called the attention of the natural leaders of Oyombo to the disgusting practice. Promptly, the elders of the community decided that every household should construct a latrine.
Three weeks later, every household had constructed a hygienic latrine (with slabs, superstructure and roof to ensure privacy). They did not ask for the government of Ghana to provide them with toilets. They did not go for loans. They decided that stopping the practice of open defecation was good for their dignity, health and overall quality of life.
Of course they used locally-available materials. I entered three of their toilets. There was no stench and no flies. They are very hygienic spaces. At the entrance of the latrines are tippy taps with water in yellow gallons. In place of soap, there is ash in a little container nearby for the user to rub on the hands before using the water for handwashing.
They have taken matters a step further. Their surroundings are weeded and kept swept-clean at all times. During my visit, the cleanliness of the community was very apparent. I felt the love, pride and attention they give to their living space. Oyombo is a display of a great success story of cleanliness for Ghana to learn from.
However, the connection between latrine usage and access to safe water gives me worry for the people of Oyombo. Without water, they will not be able to sustain the high standard of hygiene they have set. Meanwhile, water is their human right. Ghana owes them safe water!
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