Ghana & World Human Rights Day

Human rights as defined by the United Nations, are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. It includes the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.

One area that has become a subject matter for discussions on various levels has been accessing to clean water and sanitation. Access to potable, clean water and sanitation has also been recognized as a human rights issue because it is fundamental to the health, dignity, and prosperity of every nation. Globally, many are still living without safely managed water and sanitation.

Unfortunately, the poor and the marginalized in sub-Saharan Africa are the most affected. These groups are often side-stepped and sometimes face discrimination in their quest to access clean water and sanitation. Access to clean water is important for the eradication of poverty, and malnutrition among children living in Africa.

In Ghana, the main sources of water include rivers, streams, rainfall, lakes, and natural reservoirs. Most of these sources of water are heavily polluted. Water pollution, climate changes, mismanagement of water resources, increased demand for water, and poverty are the contributing factors that mitigate against the right to safe water.

About 60% of water bodies in Ghana are heavily polluted with turbidity levels reaching uncontrollable states. One major cause of the pollution is the activities of illegal artisanal and small-scale mining, popularly known as “galamsey”. Most of these illegal mining activities can be found in the southwestern parts of the country.  Other causes of water pollution include inappropriate disposal of industrial waste, rapid urbanization, and inappropriate agricultural practices. These activities have deprived many of the rights to safe, clean, potable water. The most affected are women and children.

Though everyone has the right to water and sanitation services, not everyone in Ghana enjoys this. Access to safe water and sanitation is more of a privilege than a right.

Governments have taken steps to improve the status quo but that has yielded little. One of these interventions is the introduction of the Ghana Clean Water Project which seeks to improve the water situation by engaging skilled individuals to administer water quality testing and then educate communities on how to improve sanitation practices. 

Ensuring the long-term sustainability of clean, potable water interventions has long been a challenge in rural communities without electricity in Ghana. After many years, it has become evident that government alone cannot resolve all issues in the water and sanitation sector. It is against this backdrop that Easy Water for Everyone is well placed to augment government efforts in the provision of safe water to rural communities without electricity in Ghana, Senegal, and Uganda.

The hard facts are that water in lakes, rivers, wells, and even boreholes are contaminated with viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Polluted water source is the most common cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. The introduction of the NUF500 filtration device is a unique technology that removes all infectious causes of diarrhea resulting in demonstrable improvement in survival and enhancement of health in general.

For the past 8 years, Easy Water for Everyone has made significant progress in the provision of basic water services to last-mile communities in 3 African countries. As the world marks World Human Rights Day today, we believe that “every human being deserves lasting access to safe water and sanitation — spending more time learning, growing, working, and thriving, instead of walking for water and fighting off illness”. We believe that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right not a privilege for a few.

Easy water for Everyone has reached several communities with the installation of its ground-breaking water filtration system, NUF500. It is a system that only requires eight filters and does not require any electricity. It can filter approximately 132 gallons (500 liters) per hour and is capable of delivering water completely free of any bacterial or viral contamination for an entire village.

You can support us in our quest to reach more communities without safe drinking water and electricity. Remember, 100% of your generous contribution goes into the provision of clean water for everyone.

All human rights are interdependent. The right to water and sanitation services is related to the rights to life, dignity, health, housing, food, education, physical security, gender equality, and the prohibition against discrimination.

World Human Rights Day was declared in 1948 by the United Nations and is celebrated on 10th December every year. It focuses on the fundamental rights and liberties to which all people worldwide are entitled simply by their humanity. The theme for this year is "Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All.