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In Sawaba, Ghana, the walk for water fell from 90 minutes to five

For the roughly 650 residents of Sawaba, in Ghana's North East Region, fetching water used to mean a round trip of about 90 minutes — work that fell mostly on women and children. On Monday 26 October, Austria handed over a solar-powered water supply system in the community, and running water now reaches Sawaba itself: the same trip takes about five minutes. The system was funded by the Austrian Government and delivered through Brave Aurora, an Austrian civil-society organisation that has worked in the region for 18 years, growing from child protection into livelihoods and local markets, with volunteer contributions and private donations alongside. Austrian Ambassador Jürgen Heissel held the handover in Sawaba rather than the capital, to draw attention to projects changing lives in smaller communities, and North East Regional Minister Ibrahim Tia thanked the partners, saying the system would improve health, sanitation and education. The Chief of Sawaba, Naa Gbanadaana, called it a historic day — and the community was urged to own and maintain the facility, so the five-minute walk lasts.

The upbeat factoran hour and a half of every day, handed back — to school, to work, to rest — by one solar pump.
✓ Verified · The Savanna Online · 2026-10-28 · Ghana
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