Students at Taviefe Senior High School in the Ho Municipality are facing severe hardship due to a persistent lack of clean, reliable water on campus.
From early morning until late evening, many students are seen carrying buckets and gallons, walking long distances — sometimes outside the school compound — in search of water for bathing, cooking, washing and other daily needs.
The routine is described as exhausting and disruptive to their studies and well-being.
“Fetching water has become part of our daily struggle. Sometimes you walk far and still come back with water you are not confident using,” said student Bless Nyake, speaking to Channel One News.
On-campus water comes from a few underground tanks, but students say the supply is irregular and the quality is poor. The water is often cloudy with visible particles settling at the bottom and sometimes gives off an unpleasant smell.
Second-year students Faith Akordor and Sandra Agbloyor confirmed that even when tank water is available, it is not clean, yet many have no choice but to use it for bathing and other purposes.
When the tanks run completely dry, the situation becomes more desperate. Students then turn to a nearby stream — the only alternative source. The stream water contains visible tadpoles and other aquatic organisms, making it clearly unsafe for drinking or even domestic use.
“We know the stream water is not safe, but when there is no water on campus, that is where we go,” the students said.
The ongoing water crisis is affecting students’ health, personal hygiene, comfort and concentration on academic work. Many have called on authorities — including the Ghana Education Service, the school management, and relevant local government bodies — to urgently provide a permanent solution, such as a mechanized borehole, regular water tanker service or connection to a reliable piped supply.
As the new academic term progresses, the situation continues to draw concern from parents, teachers and education stakeholders in the Volta Region.
