A new way to do things brings hope to a village

Under the hot sun, 10-year-old Asana balances a stack of books against her chest as she hurries to class. "My twin sister had to leave for the city and stopped school. But because of support from sponsors to the community, she is back. We are happy to be together again and attend the same school," she says, smiling.

Her twin, Fuseina, shares with barely contained excitement: "I like being back and being able to go to school."

Due to the lack of school infrastructure and water, most parents did not send their children to school, to help them in their farms, especially during the rainy-farming season.

Some even took them to find work in larger centers, like Fuseina.

The change began with water. Not long ago, Nanyeri, a remote farming community in Ghana's North East Region, struggled on every front. There was no electricity, no health facility, and no clean water. Families fetched water from a dam that dried up in the dry season, forcing them to dig unsafe pits.

"Access to water in our school was a major challenge. We used to walk for a long distance to the stream to fetch water. But now that there is a borehole near our school, we no longer go far for water," says Deborah, a young student.

Before Children Believe began working with its local partner here a few years ago, daily survival consumed families. Parents relied on farming income that came only after harvest, leaving long months of hunger. Children like Fuseina had to leave school to work. The school only went up to Basic 3.

"School infrastructure is a major challenge. Pupils sit on the ground during lessons. When it threatens to rain, we have to close the school. We now have water in our school which helps us to stay in school to learn," explains Wahid, another student.

Today, Nanyeri is changing. The community, working alongside Children Believe and with donor support, built and maintains a borehole that has transformed daily life. When families no longer spent hours fetching water, children can attend school. The community extended classes to Basic 4, introduced early childhood education, provided uniforms and learning materials, and formed a Village Savings and Loan Association.

"The Village Savings and Loans Association is giving our women access to loans," says Daniel, a community elder. "Education on early childhood learning and harmful practices like child marriage and child labour is helping families understand the importance of keeping children in school."

The ripple effects reached Fuseina. With water at the school, better infrastructure, and economic support for her family, she could come home.

Now, the twins walk to class together each morning. In Nanyeri, water didn't just quench thirst — it reunited a family and reopened futures that poverty had closed.

Read more stories like this in our latest edition of ChildVoice!