Hilton Foundation provides $84m grant to improve Ghana’s water supply
The Conrad Hilton Foundation, an International organization involved in the provision of water and sanitation in rural communities, has over the last two decades provided over $84 million in grants to provide water for an estimated two million people in the country.
The Foundation is currently providing additional grants worth six million dollars to its implementing partners such as World Vision-Ghana, West Africa Water Initiative, (WAWI), Water Aid, UNICEF and the African Regional centre for Water and Sanitation (CREPA) for the implementation of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs in Ghana.
Mr Conrad Hilton III, Leader of the delegation of the Board of Director of the Foundation, had paid a courtesy call on Mr Moses Bukari Magbengba, Northern Regional Minister, in his Office on Tuesday as part of its tour of the Region to inspect some projects funded by the organization.
“Through these investments, the Hilton Foundation remains committed to fostering effective water development initiatives and sustainable safe water and sanitation programmes that will provide opportunities for community growth and development for hundreds of thousands of people throughout Ghana and West Africa”, Mr Hilton said.
He said under the WASH programme, the Foundation, through its partners targeted improvised, semi-arid and remote areas with low water access and sanitation coverage.
He noted that it was such areas that had high incidences of water-related diseases such as diarrhea, trachoma and guinea worm, saying, it is these “diseases that not only carry a heavy human toll in terms of pain, suffering and death, but also impedes a country’s ability to progress economically”.
He commended the Government for its bold actions in launching Ghana’s Compact for sanitation and water for all, the development of the National Water Policy and the Government’s commitment in investing in the WASH projects.
Mr Hilton later commissioned the World Vision Regional Water Quality Laboratory in Savelugu. It was funded by World Vision, the United States and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Mr Mabengba commended the Foundation and its partners for their interventions in various areas of development in the Northern region, especially in the water sector which he said had not only relived women and school children from the drudgery of walking several kilometers in search of water but also lead to an improvement in their health status.
He said the Ghanaian government would be forever grateful to them for its massive support in the fight against guinea worm, which grateful had now been eradicated.
Source: GNA