By Rita Avoka, GNA
Mayoro(U/E), Feb.27, GNA - The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) in collaboration with the Swiss Red Cross has cut sod for the construction of 100 units two bedroom houses for victims of the October 2019 flood at Mayoro in the Kassena Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region.
The project will cover the Kassena Nankana Municipality, which will have 50 units and the Builsa North District, also to be given 50 units.
Mr Kwame Gyima Akwafo, the National President of GRCS, at the sod-cutting ceremony, said the Red Cross made a commitment after the floods last year to provide stronger buildings, which would withstand persistent heavy rains, for the victims.
Mr Akwafo said logistics provided for the construction of each two bedroom house include 15 bags of cement, 350 bags of sandcrete blocks, roofing materials and some cash to pay for the services of artisans.
According to him, the structure of each housed was designed to have a four course layer of sandcrete block work and landcrete continuing up to the roofing level.
He said as part of the programme, GRCS was using the community based approach where apart from providing the material support, the community will provide the labour component for a successful completion of the housing units.
The project was expected to be completed in three months and handed over to the beneficiaries before the next rains set in, he said.
Mr Paul Wooma, the Upper East Regional Manager of GRCS, said most houses that were affected by the torrential rains did not have strong foundations as the soil in the area was not good enough to build strong foundations.
“The conditions present for a disaster to occur are still there and I can foresee disaster looming in the coming season,” he said, and urged community members to desist from building in water ways.
Madam Kwokoga Kajwom, a resident and one of the beneficiaries of the 50 unit two bedroom houses in Mayoro, speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to GRCS for the intervention during the difficult time they were enduring.
Madam Kajwom said after the flood, which destroyed their homes, they did not have any accommodation and resorted to seeking shelter under trees and some public facilities.
"We would have found it very difficult to rebuild our houses if GRCS together with NADMO had not intervened,” she said.
Mr Williams Adum, the Kassena Nankana Municipal Chief Executive, commended the GRCS, saying it had been a major collaborator to his Assembly since 2018 when it built about 100 housing units for 100 beneficiaries in Kologo- zor, Kologo- tor and Doba communities after they were hit by the floods in 2018.
Mr Adum said the technology used by GRCS to construct the houses was very effective and could withstand future floods hence the Assembly was training local artisans to adopt same method of construction in their communities.
GNA
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