Helen sponsors Dagati, a village of settlers from the north of Ghana/ Sahara who came south to look for an easier life. She’s already sponsored them for sanitation, and is determined now to give them clean water as well.
Dagati is on the east of the area we cover, and luckily boreholes in the east often strike water (unlike the west, where we have to resort to water filters). Helen’s in Ghana now, and is employing a hydrogeologist and others to find the best place – if there is one – to drill for water. Luckily they’ve managed to identify two in Dagati and one in the neighbouring hamlet of JY, so it looks as if these two villages will have a lot to rejoice over.
At present, one baby in every two of three dies in Dagati before age two. By the time Helen’s finished, very few babies will die of water-related disease. In the longer term, the birthrate will fall since people will feel more secure, and less anxious to have lots of children to look after them in their old age.
