The chiefs and people of Ninting in the Mampong municipality of the Ashanti Region have received a major boost in access to clean water following the inauguration of a modern mechanised borehole system, bringing relief to a community that has endured decades of water scarcity.

The project, funded by the Rotary Club of Kumasi East, is expected to significantly improve living conditions in the area, particularly for schoolchildren and women who have long borne the burden of fetching water from distant and unsafe sources.

For years, residents of Ninting depended on local streams and springs for their daily water needs.

However, environmental pressures, including climate change, intensive farming activities, and the construction of drainage systems during the Kumasi–Mampong highway project, led to the destruction of the community’s primary water source, the Ninting stream.

The resulting water shortage forced residents—largely subsistence farmers and petty traders—to spend scarce income purchasing water from nearby Mampong.

The situation also contributed to broader socio-economic challenges, affecting health, education, and livelihoods.

Health records from the Mampong Hospital and a local clinic have previously linked the water crisis to recurring outbreaks of waterborne diseases, including cholera and typhoid.

In the education sector, the lack of reliable water supply contributed to absenteeism, lateness, and declining academic performance, while also discouraging some newly posted teachers from accepting appointments in the community.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the outgoing President of the Rotary Club of Kumasi East, Madam Gina Akosua Acheampong, described the intervention as a humanitarian response inspired by media reports highlighting the community’s plight.

She noted that the project forms part of the club’s commitment to improving access to basic needs in underserved communities.

The inauguration also coincided with the 36th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Kumasi East District, adding symbolic significance to the occasion.

As part of the intervention, the club also donated educational materials worth thousands of Ghana cedis to support basic schools in the area.

The items included exercise books, mathematical sets, pens, and pencils aimed at improving teaching and learning.

The Queenmother of Ninting, Nana Anoswa, expressed deep appreciation to the Rotary Club, describing the project as a life-changing intervention that has significantly reduced the burden on residents, particularly women and girls.

The Assembly Member for the Ninting Electoral Area, Mr. N. Osei-Wusu, also commended the Rotary Club for responding to his appeal.

He, however, used the occasion to highlight remaining challenges and called for further support to provide modern toilet facilities for basic schools in the community to improve sanitation and prevent future disease outbreaks.