Clean Water for 4,600 People: How GlobeServe Drilled 10 Boreholes Across Northern Ghana
In three remote districts; Saboba, Tatale, and Chereponi, communities that once walked miles for water now have safe, reliable access. Here is the full story.
Water is not a luxury, it is the foundation of everything; health, education, economic productivity, and human dignity. In many rural communities across Northern Ghana, the daily reality has been walking long distances to fetch water from sources that are neither safe nor reliable, that is, sources that cause illness, keep children out of school, and consume hours that could otherwise be spent on work, learning, and life.
In January 2026, GlobeServe Ministries International completed a project that is changing that reality for more than 4,600 people across ten communities. Working through specialist drilling company Global Sonn Ltd, GlobeServe commissioned the drilling and installation of ten boreholes fitted with Mark II hand pumps across three districts in Northern Ghana: Saboba, Tatale, and Chereponi. The project concluded on January 20, 2026 – and every borehole is now fully operational.
Clean water is not merely a development goal. For GlobeServe, it is an expression of the Gospel, the conviction that God cares for the whole person, body and soul, and that demonstrating His love in practical, tangible ways opens doors for the message of Christ.
The Communities: Where Ghana’s Water Crisis Is Most Acute
The three districts covered by this project are located in the Northern and Oti Regions of Ghana, among the most rural, underserved, and water-stressed areas in the country. These are communities where the nearest reliable water source may be hours away on foot, where waterborne illnesses are a leading cause of child mortality, and where women and girls bear the greatest burden of daily water collection.
Across the ten communities served by this project, the combined population is approximately 4,549 people — ranging from Kpachando with 283 residents to Kolifo with 758. Each one now has a functioning borehole delivering clean groundwater, fitted with a Mark II hand pump that is simple to operate, durable in remote conditions, and maintainable by the community itself.
This is not a temporary intervention. Boreholes properly drilled and fitted with quality pumps can serve a community for decades. GlobeServe has invested not just in water but has invested in the long-term wellbeing of these communities.
The Science: Finding Water Underground
Drilling a successful borehole is not as simple as choosing a spot and digging. In the geology of Northern Ghana, groundwater is found in fractured rock and aquifer zones that are often deep underground and unevenly distributed. Finding them requires sophisticated geophysical investigation and Global Sonn Ltd brought exactly that expertise to this project.
Advanced Groundwater Detection Equipment
- The WD-WSIZZ(3D) Groundwater Detector – capable of detecting water sources up to 500 metres away and 200 metres deep, capturing detailed geological information including fractures, faults, and aquifer formations
- The Aidu ADMT-300S-X Groundwater Detector – which uses the earth’s natural electromagnetic field to assess differences in underground rock resistivity, automatically generating profile maps that reveal the precise location and depth of aquifers
- Water dowsing techniques were also used as confirmation at selected sites – a traditional method cross-checked against instrument data to build confidence before committing drilling resources
Site Selection and Ranking
All geophysical data was combined with terrain analysis to rank potential drilling sites by their likelihood of yielding high-quality, high-volume groundwater. Accessibility for the drilling rig was also factored in. The result was a prioritized list of drilling locations that maximized the probability of success – reflected in the project’s 91% drilling success rate.
The Drilling: Results Across All Ten Communities
Drilling operations began on December 18, 2025 at Bulkpal in the Saboba District. Over the following five weeks, the team worked across all three districts, making eleven drilling attempts to achieve ten successful boreholes. Depths ranged from 60 metres at Bibelado to 100 metres at several sites, and water yields ranged from 18 to 100 litres per minute.
One drilling attempt at Nagali was initially marginal – insufficient yield on the first try. Rather than accepting defeat, the team drilled a second borehole at the same community and succeeded, achieving 20 litres per minute. That determination to not leave a community without water defines the spirit of this project.
Community | District | Population | Depth (m) | Yield (L/min) | Status |
Bulkpal | Saboba | 497 | 100 | 18 | Completed* |
Mabido | Saboba | 357 | 75 | 95 | Completed |
Lijeriborido | Saboba | 472 | 100 | 25 | Completed |
Naakpakni | Saboba | 563 | 100 | 25 | Completed |
Tigasarni | Tatale | 308 | 90 | 50 | Completed |
Kpachando | Tatale | 283 | 65 | 100 | Completed |
Poalardo | Tatale | 319 | 70 | 80 | Completed |
Bibelado | Tatale | 302 | 60 | 90 | Completed |
Nagali | Chereponi | 690 | 100 | 20 | Completed |
Kolifo | Chereponi | 758 | 90 | 35 | Completed |
* Bulkpal borehole is functional but yields slightly saline water due to elevated dissolved salts. Future interventions may include additional treatment or a new drilling attempt at a different location within the community.
Beyond the Borehole: Infrastructure That Lasts
Drilling is only part of the story. GlobeServe also constructed the infrastructure that ensures each borehole serves its community safely and sustainably for years to come:
- Concrete pads and aprons at each borehole site – providing a clean, stable, hygienic access surface that prevents ground contamination
- Mark II hand pumps fitted on all operational boreholes – the internationally recognized standard for rural water supply in sub-Saharan Africa, designed for durability and community-level maintenance
- Livestock water troughs at each site – ensuring that animals can access water separately from the human supply, eliminating competition and protecting water hygiene
The inclusion of livestock troughs reflects a sophisticated understanding of rural community life. In Northern Ghana, livestock are livelihoods and ensuring that this infrastructure serves both human and animal needs demonstrates a genuine commitment to community wellbeing rather than merely a technical deliverable.
The Full Impact: What 4,600+ People Now Have
4,600+ People with access to safe drinking water
10 Communities served across 3 districts
91% Borehole drilling success rate
20–30 Years of expected borehole service life
- Girls and children who previously missed school to collect water now have that time freed for education
- Women can redirect hours previously spent on water collection to income-generating activities and family care
- Families drinking from unsafe sources now have access to clean groundwater, dramatically reducing waterborne illness risk
- Livestock have a dedicated water supply, improving agricultural productivity and animal health
- Properly constructed concrete platforms protect water quality and prevent contamination for decades
Water and the Gospel: GlobeServe’s Holistic Vision
GlobeServe’s mandate is not limited to evangelism and church planting, though those remain central to everything the organization does. It is a holistic mandate, one that sees the Kingdom of God as touching every dimension of human life, including access to clean water.
When a community in rural Ghana receives a clean water source through GlobeServe’s work, it opens a relationship. It creates trust. It demonstrates that the Christian faith is not merely a system of beliefs to be debated, it is a living, active force for good that shows up in communities, gets its hands dirty, and leaves things better than it found them.
The ten boreholes drilled in January 2026 are not just water infrastructure. They are bridges between GlobeServe and communities, between the Gospel and everyday life, between what these communities have known and what they can now become.
How to Support GlobeServe’s Water Projects
This project was made possible by donors who believe that clean water is worth investing in and that missions means serving the whole person. GlobeServe is planning future borehole projects in additional communities across Northern Ghana and beyond.
- A single borehole installation can serve an entire community of several hundred people for decades
- Gifts can be designated specifically toward GlobeServe’s water and community development projects
- Churches and organisations can sponsor a named borehole in a specific community and receive impact updates
Contact GlobeServe at admin@globeserveministries.org or visit globeserveministries.org to give toward clean water today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long will these boreholes last?
Properly constructed boreholes with quality Mark II hand pumps can last 20–30 years or more with appropriate community-level maintenance. Each site was built for long-term durability.
Q: What is a Mark II hand pump?
The India Mark II hand pump is the internationally recognized standard for rural water supply in sub-Saharan Africa – designed to be durable, operable without electricity, and maintainable using locally available skills and parts.
Q: What about the Bulkpal borehole with saline water?
Bulkpal’s borehole is functional but yields water with elevated dissolved salts. GlobeServe is aware of this issue and future interventions will include water treatment solutions or an additional drilling attempt at a different site within the community.
Q: Can I sponsor a borehole for a specific community?
Yes. GlobeServe welcomes named borehole sponsorships. Contact admin@globeserveministries.org or visit globeserveministries.org to explore sponsorship options and connect with the team.