The ongoing flooding of parts of Volta Region (the part of Ghana in which we, the GROW YOUR DREAM FOUNDATION, operate) has resulted in a major crisis affecting thousands of predominantly poor Ghanaian families. Due to atypically high levels of rainfall in recent months, which scientists say are related to global climate change, the water levels in the Akosombo Dam had by mid September 2023 risen beyond the maximum operation capacity. The flooding was not a result of a dam break, but of a controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam and the Kpong Dam by the Volta River Authority to avoid dam failure. Nevertheless, the effect has been devastating: by 19 October 2023, 31,000 people have already lost their homes. Moreover, water levels have not yet receded, which means the number of households affected could rise further before the dry season sets it. Many people are without any place to live, while others are housed in hastily erected, makeshift shelters. Others have found refuge in the homes of relatives, further exacerbating living conditions which had already been poor before.
While the national government provides the bare essentials to prevent any of the relocated individuals from starving, and no casualties have been reported, there is a more longer term danger resulting from the flooding, which is insufficiently addressed so far: The resettled families are exposed to a heightened risk of catching malaria due to the stagnant water (resulting in increased mosquito activity), their physical exhaustion and the fact that they have lost the protection they had (mosquito nets, repellents) in the flood. Malaria is a major cause of mortality and ill-health in Ghana, with an estimated 12,500 deaths caused per year. Although Ghana’s entire population is at risk of malaria infection, children under five years of age and pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness due to lowered immunity.
It is for this reason that we, the GROW YOUR DREAM FOUNDATION, propose a targeted intervention to supply children and pregnant women affected from the flood with treated mosquito nets. The nets will be sourced from a local supplier; as it is established best practice, nets are pretreated with an appropriate insecticide / insect repellent.
For each €1,000 of donations, we can supply 180 children and pregnant women with bed nets that provide effective protection against mosquitoes for a duration of about three years. Included in the sum are the costs of transport. GROW YOUR DREAM FOUNDATION staff will distribute the nets personally and provide guidance in their use if appropriate. The activity will be meticulously documented using geotagged photos and signatures of beneficiaries (head of household).
This campaign is made possible through our co-operation with HITA, a German NGO working for innovations in health care in Ghana and beyond. Please make your donation by money transfer to:
Name of the Organisation: HITA e.V.
IBAN: DE86 6907 0024 0050 6006 00
BIC: DEUTDEDB690
Subject/Betreff: Akosombo Flood
Watch the report on Deutsche Welle News here.