Women at Asuakwaa, a farming community, near Chiraa in the Sunyani Municipality, have appealed for potable water.
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They said the perennial water crisis in the area was making life difficult for them and the more than 300 basic school children in the area.
Describing the situation as a great challenge to their health and education, the women called on NGOs, philanthropic organizations, and individuals to come to their aid.
They appealed at a stakeholders meeting held at Asuakwaa and aimed at identifying and proffering solutions to some of the emerging challenges facing women and children in the area.
It was organised by the Sunyani-based INNORIGHTS Ghana, a human rights and child-centered Non-Governmental Organisation and supported by the Sunyani Youth Development Association and the “Me Man Nti”, of the Sunyani-based Suncity Radio, and attended by 90 women.
Nana Serwaa Mua Brayie Atopre, the Queen of Asuakwaa, said water remained the necessity of life, saying, denying women and children accessing potable or clean water were an affront to their human rights and dignity.
She expressed worry that women and children walked distances every day to fetch water from the nearby stream and thereby affecting the education of school children.
Nonetheless, she commended the women in the area for their hard work in ensuring that their children were in school every day, despite the water challenges.
Nana Atopre said quality education remained the best legacy families could bequeath their children and stressed her commitment to ensuring that no child in the area was denied access to education.
She said the development of the area largely hinged on the well-being and education of children and urged parents to channel much of their resources into the education of their children.
Mr Peter Boateng, the Executive Director of INNORIGHTS Ghana, who led the discussions at the meeting, sensitized the participants on climate change child health, child rights and abuses girl-child education, and sexual harassment.
He urged the families to closely monitor the movements of their girls and protect them from pre-marital sex, and teenage pregnancies.
Mr Boateng called for a collaborative approach to eliminating all forms of discrimination against children and advised parents to be cautious with their words and actions to inspire and not discourage their children.
