SCHOOL CHILDREN DROWN IN WEIJA LAKE
On the 10th of May, 2023, 9 children (including a 1 ½ year old) reportedly lost their lives on the Weija lake on their way back from school after a canoe in which they were travelling capsized due to lack of supervision from a trained canoe rider. This incident was recorded in Fanaa, a coastal fishing community in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, near the Weija municipality.
The children have since been buried.
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(An internet photo of the burial of the deceased school children)
DRO TEAM MEETS LEADERS OF FANAA COMMUNITY
A team from the DRO Ministries was dispatched on June 12, 2023 to assess the impact of this incident on the lives of the Fanaa inhabitants, as well as assess how the DRO Ministries could be of help to them in alleviating their current plight.
The team began a one-hour journey from the end of the motorable road in Bortianor to the Fanaa community by canoe, and upon arrival, met with the leadership of the community namely: the traditional head, an elder, and the chief fisherman. After courtesies were shown and the mission was stated to the leadership of the community, the leadership of the community lauded the team for the intent of the visit. They enumerated some of the challenges they faced as a community and asked for help from the DRO Ministries.
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Central to their requests was a call for help for the community to be connected to the national power grid for them to access electricity because they had never had electricity since the inception of the community. They bemoaned the poor academic performance of their children and attributed the absence of electricity as the main cause since the children are unable to do any extra academic learning in the dark after returning from school.
They also requested for access to potable water which was absent in the community. They reported that they have to travel a long distance by canoe just to get a small amount of water since they fear a possible canoe overturn if they carry so much weight on board.
Further, they wanted DRO Ministries to assist them with life jackets for both the young and old to avert any casualties should they suffer another incident in the future.
In addition, they wanted a school to be built, at least to occupy the younger children so they do not make risky canoe journeys.
INTERACTING WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY
The team then went on a tour of the community. Interacting with some members of the community, including a mother who lost two (2) children in the incident- (9 years and a 1 ½ year old), the inhabitants reiterated the plea from the leadership of the community and added that they would also be grateful if a mini pharmacy be made available to give first aid assistance to the sick before they are transported by canoe to a distant location for healthcare to reduce the rate of mortality.
FANAA SCHOOL
The team, then made another one-hour journey to the distant school attended by the children in the Fanaa community. They passed the spot where the incident occurred which happened to be very close to the estuary, where the Weija lake and the Atlantic Ocean meet. The school was a partly constructed structure that served many of the communities around the Weija lake.
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PROJECTS EARMARKED FOR FANAA COMMUNITY
- PROVIDE A 3-UNIT CLASSROOM WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS FOR THE FANAA COMMUNITY FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN FROM AGES 1 TO 6.
- PROVIDE 100 LIFE JACKETS FOR THE FANAA COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
- PURCHASE 2 BIGGER CANOES WITH OUTBOARD MOTORS FOR SAFER AND FASTER TRAVEL ON THE WEIJA LAKE.
