It's the borehole's solar panel that immediately catches the eye under the blazing sun in the courtyard of the public elementary school in the canton of Guizato (Man, Cote d’Ivoire). Completed last February, the borehole's solar panel is supported by a 5m high, metal structure which holds a 3,000-litre barrel. Built with Twinings Ovaltine’s financial support and under ICI’s technical supervision, the solar panel enables the system to be operated automatically without the need for electricity. The borehole, which is secured by a fence, has two taps for dispensing drinking water.
Some of the children bring plastic cups to fetch water and return to their classrooms after drinking. This practice, no matter how trivial it may seem, is a source of joy for the children, their teachers and the community. In addition to providing water to drink, the borehole allows children to wash their hands, helping to improve sanitation and hygiene at school. "Having a pump at school is the best thing we've ever wished for. The teaching staff and even people passing by benefit", said Froma Dramane Gnamena, Boassê tribe chief and a landowner, before adding that "acquiring drinking water was not at all easy for the children".
Indeed, 14-year-old Paul Gbako, a student at CM2 class from Guizato, confirmed this, explaining the difficulties the students faced on a daily basis: "We used to go fetch water from the village well with jerry cans, and bring it back to school".
Their difficulties were also recounted by their parents,
"Before, when there was no borehole, the children suffered a lot. The river water they drew from was dirty. The children got sick, but now that there's a borehole, the children have fewer stomach aches", explained Augustin Ouédraogo, cocoa farmer and father of 7 children, including Viviane, who attends elementary school.
According to the school's Director, Brahima Fofana, the construction and installation of the borehole will help boost the school enrolment rate for the new school year: "Before, the water we collected was yellowish. The borehole has been operational for a month now, and it will encourage parents to enroll their children as water safety is a given", he said.
The installation of the borehole has made the children even happier, as they are no longer obliged to collect water from the stream or from the rain to quench their thirst: "I'm very happy with the drinking water we now have, because before we used to go and collect water from the stream every day. The water was dirty, but we were thirsty. The first time they turned on the tap and the water came out, we were very happy", said a Sophie Dan, 12 years old and in class CM2.
Since February 2022, Twinings Ovaltine has supported various community development actions aimed at strengthening education in cocoa-growing communities. In addition to financing the construction of a borehole, it has also supported parents in registering their children for birth certificates and funded the distributed of school kits, which has greatly benefited the children, parents and teachers. As part of this approach to community development, Twinings Ovaltine has helped set up and train Child Protection Committees, which consist of community members trained to raise awareness about child labour within the community. Other actions include setting up Village Savings and Loans Associations targeted at women, as well as helping community members develop income-generating activities.