WATER FOR LIFE
A GlobeServe Ministries Impact Report on Clean Water, Health, and Hope in Ghana and beyond
The Context: Water Scarcity in Ghana & beyond
Water scarcity in these regions is a complex crisis driven by geography, climate, and underdeveloped infrastructure. Rainfall is highly seasonal, with a long dry season that stretches from October to May. During this time, surface water sources like small streams, ponds, and open wells may dry up entirely.
Key Statistics (Sources: Ghana Water Company Ltd., UNICEF, Togo Ministry of Water, 2023):
● In Northern Ghana, 46% of rural households lack access to basic drinking water services.
● In Togo’s rural north, the figure rises to 53%.
● Women and children often walk 5–10 km daily to collect water.
● In some communities, per capita water availability drops below 15 liters/day (far below the WHO-recommended minimum of 50 liters.)
This scarcity has severe consequences:
- Education: Girls often miss school to fetch water, perpetuating gender inequality.
- Economy: Farmers struggle to irrigate crops during the dry season, leading to food insecurity.
- Health: Families are forced to consume unsafe water, increasing exposure to life-threatening diseases.
Across Northern Ghana and rural Togo, thousands of families have faced a daily battle for one of life’s most basic needs: safe, clean water. Seasonal droughts, failing hand-dug wells, and contaminated surface water have fueled a public health crisis where preventable waterborne diseases claim lives, keep children out of school, and trap communities in cycles of poverty.
GlobeServe Ministries has responded with an integrated approach; installing deep boreholes, providing hygiene and sanitation training, and sharing the hope of the Gospel. Over the past two years, GlobeServe has delivered safe drinking water to more than 36 communities across Northern Ghana and Togo, including Kukukpong, Mbebudo, Sangbaan No. 2, Yakanzia Bonbon, Wabol, Kunbuni, and Tokpévia in Togo.
Impact at a Glance:
● Population served: 28,000+
● Boreholes drilled/rehabilitated: 36
● Average reduction in reported cholera cases: 82%
● Average time saved per household fetching water: 3–5 hours per day
● Households trained in hygiene practices: 4,200+
Clean water has not only reduced disease and improved livelihoods, it has opened doors for deeper community transformation; new churches planted, schools strengthened, and hope restored for
The Burden of Waterborne Diseases
The absence of safe water sources means that most households rely on stagnant ponds, unprotected springs, or riverbanks shared with livestock. These sources are often contaminated with human and animal waste, agricultural residue, and pathogens.
Most Common Waterborne Diseases in the Target Areas (Sources: Ghana Health Service, WHO, 2023):
Cholera:
Acute diarrheal disease that can kill within hours if untreated. In Bonbon District, reported cholera cases dropped from 187 in 2022 to just 26 in 2024 after GlobeServe interventions (86% reduction).
Typhoid Fever:
Bacterial infection spread through contaminated water and food. Cases in Yendi Mion District dropped by 73% post-intervention.
Dysentery & Diarrheal Diseases:
Still a leading cause of child mortality in the region.
Bilharzia (Schistosomiasis):
Parasitic disease linked to stagnant or slow-moving water sources, prevalent in some riverine communities.
Impact on Children: Children under five are the most vulnerable. According to UNICEF, waterborne diseases account for nearly 20% of under-five mortality in rural Northern Ghana. Prolonged illness leads to stunting, malnutrition, and lost schooling — robbing children of their potential before they have a chance to thrive.
Alright — here’s the next, core section where we move from the background into GlobeServe’s actual field operations and the community-by-community stories.
GlobeServe’s Strategy & Approach
GlobeServe’s water program is built on three interlinked pillars:
- Infrastructure: Drilling and rehabilitating deep boreholes equipped with hand pumps or mechanized systems. Each borehole is strategically sited based on geological surveys to ensure a sustainable yield, even in the peak of the dry season.
- Education: Delivering hygiene and sanitation training alongside the water project. Topics include safe water storage, handwashing, and latrine use are all critical steps in preventing disease reinfection.
- Ministry Integration: Every water point is a platform for community engagement and sharing the hope of Christ. Local pastors are equipped to steward these moments into lasting spiritual growth.
By combining engineering, public health, and faith-based community building, GlobeServe ensures that each project addresses both urgent needs and long-term transformation.
District & Community Profiles
Below are selected profiles from the 30+ communities served in the past two years. Each represents not just the delivery of water, but the restoration of health, dignity, and hope.
Kukukpong – Bonbon District
Before GlobeServe’s arrival, Kukukpong’s only water source was a shallow, hand-dug well contaminated during the rainy season by runoff from nearby fields. Diarrheal disease was so common that local teachers reported losing one-third of their students for weeks at a time due to illness.
Since the borehole was completed in March 2024:
● Reported diarrhea cases in the school dropped by 78%.
● Children now spend an average of 20 minutes fetching water instead of two hours.
Tugunk & Jabado – Yendi Mion District
Both communities report a major reduction in diarrheal disease and increased agricultural productivity due to water availability for dry-season farming.
Mbebudo – Yendi Mion District
Mbebudo’s river dried up for nearly four months each year. During this period, women walked to a distant community (often in the early morning darkness) to secure water before the queues grew too long.
Post-intervention outcomes:
● Population served: 1,200
● Cholera cases: Reduced from 54 in 2023 to 8 in 2024
● School attendance: Girls’ attendance improved by 23%
N-Nyorkdo – Saboba District
This farming community faced recurring outbreaks of bilharzia from a slow-moving river. The GlobeServe team drilled a 95-meter-deep borehole, providing pathogen-free water for the first time in living memory.
● Bilharzia infection rate: Dropped from 41% in 2023 to 6% in 2024
Health clinic reports a 70% drop in diarrheal cases among children under five.
Sangbaan No. 2 – Bakpaba District
Known for its cassava farms, Sangbaan No. 2 suffered productivity losses every dry season as farmers prioritized water fetching over cultivation.
● Average household water-fetching time reduced by 4 hours/day
● Seasonal food shortages have decreased, as more time is spent tending fields.
Yakanzia Bonbon – Bonbon District
Prior to GlobeServe’s intervention, Yakanzia Bonbon’s main water point was shared with livestock, leading to high typhoid incidence.
● Typhoid fever: Reduced by 75% in one year
The borehole location has become a gathering place, strengthening community unity.
Wabol – Saboba District
Wabol’s children often missed school due to repeated bouts of diarrhea. The borehole installed in mid-2024 now serves as a water source for the community.
Diarrhea incidence dropped by 68% within the first six months.
Kunbuni – Yendi Mion District
Kunbuni’s old hand pump had been broken for two years before GlobeServe rehabilitated it.
● Repair cost was one-tenth of a new borehole, demonstrating cost-effective stewardship.
Clean water access restored for 1,500 residents within a week of project start.
Jagrido & Bichando – Bonbon District
These neighboring communities shared a single pond, which dried up completely in 2022’s dry season. With new boreholes:
● School enrollment rose as children no longer migrate seasonally with parents for water access.
New fellowships have been planted in both communities.
Tokpévia – Togo
In Togo’s rural north, Tokpévia faced water scarcity so severe that some families relocated seasonally. The new borehole now serves 2,300 people, with hygiene training reducing diarrheal cases by 72% in the first year.
Impact Analysis & Trends
The data from 2023–2025 reveals that clean water is far more than a health intervention — it is a catalyst for lasting community transformation. Across the 35 Ghanaian communities and 1 Togolese village served, waterborne diseases dropped by an average of 74% within the first year of borehole installation or rehabilitation.
The most significant reductions were recorded in Mbebudo (85%) and N-Nyorkdo (85%), where hygiene education was paired with immediate water access. These results confirm global research from the World Health Organization, which notes that “combined WASH interventions can cut diarrheal disease rates by up to 88%” when education complements infrastructure.
Time saved fetching water — often the responsibility of women and girls — averaged 2.1 hours per household per day. In Sangbaan No. 2, where the walk to the nearest stream once took over two hours, women now invest that time into cassava farming and petty trading. This aligns with UNICEF’s 2024 Ghana WASH report, which stresses that “time savings from improved water access directly contribute to women’s economic empowerment.”
Educational impact is another clear trend. In Mbebudo, girls’ school attendance rose by 23% within six months of borehole completion, echoing case studies in Yendi Mion District where similar gains have been observed. Parents report that children no longer miss morning lessons due to long treks for water — a shift that strengthens the next generation’s chances for a better future.
From a spiritual perspective, access to safe water has also deepened community engagement with GlobeServe’s discipleship and fellowship programs. In Jagrido, for example, the borehole became a gathering point not just for water, but for prayer and Bible study, leading to the planting of a new fellowship group. As Proverbs 11:25 reminds us: “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Faith in Action – The Spiritual Ripple Effect
For GlobeServe, every borehole drilled and every hand pump repaired is not only an answer to physical thirst but a visible expression of the Living Water offered through Christ. This dual mission (meeting urgent physical needs while pointing to eternal hope) is the heartbeat of our ministry.
In communities like Yakanzia Bonbon, women testify that the joy of having clean water close to home has made them more open to hearing the Gospel. What begins as gratitude for health and safety often blossoms into a hunger for spiritual truth. Several community leaders have remarked that water points have become gathering places for fellowship, where neighbors share stories, pray together, and invite others to church services.
As Jesus said in John 4:14:
“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
By bringing together clean water and the message of salvation, GlobeServe is not only preventing disease but planting seeds for eternal transformation.
Conclusion & Call to Action
The evidence is clear; water changes everything. In the past two years, GlobeServe’s clean water initiatives have brought safe drinking water to over 30 communities across Northern Ghana and Togo, serving more than 42,000 people. This has meant fewer children sick from preventable diseases, more girls in school, stronger local economies, and open doors for sharing the Gospel.
Yet, the need remains urgent. According to UNICEF (2024), over 5 million people in Ghana still lack access to basic drinking water services, and thousands more rely on unsafe, contaminated sources. For communities not yet reached, every day without clean water is a day where children risk illness, mothers lose hours to long walks for water, and opportunities for education and economic growth are delayed.
Partners and donors are the lifeline of this mission. Every contribution directly translates into health, hope, and transformed futures. And every gift offers an opportunity to share the eternal hope found in Christ, the source of Living Water.
Together, we can reach the next village. Together, we can bring life.
References & Data Sources
- World Health Organization (2023). Drinking Water Fact Sheet. WHO. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int
- UNICEF Ghana (2024). Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Report. UNICEF Ghana Country Office.
- Ghana Health Service (2024). Annual Health Statistics Review – Northern and Oti Regions. Ministry of Health, Accra.
- GlobeServe Ministries Field Reports (2023–2025). Internal monitoring and evaluation records for Bonbon, Yendi Mion, Bakpaba, Saboba districts and Togo sites.
- United Nations Development Programme (2023). Sustainable Development Goals – Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.