![]() The arduous task of fetching water is not only causing wear and tear to his beloved motorbike, but also denying his family their basic needs as it takes a strain on their finances. This responsibility would have usually been left to Mohammed’s wife and children but he says “I am the only person fetching water for the household because the children complain about neck pains and the distance”. He must do this four times in the morning and again in the evening to ensure his family has water to drink, cook, bathe and meet all their water needs. The stream is the only source of water in the community and both people and animals journey to it. Every morning he wakes up at dawn, ties four 25-litre-capacity jerrycans to the back of his motorbike and rides 6 kilometres to fetch water from a stream. Mohammed is a 39-year-old farmer and owns one of only five motorbikes in the community and his family’s livelihood largely depends on it. Having a motorbike saves you the exhaustion of paddling a bicycle, walking long distances and the heat whilst carrying a load. The terrain is quite rough and dusty, and the sun can be unforgivingly hot during the day, especially in the dry season when temperatures are as high as 40 degrees celsius. The privileged few either own a bicycle or at best a motorbike. To get around, most people have to walk several kilometres. The community is 20 kilometres away from the regional capital and isolated typical of most communities in the area due to scatted settlements. It is the most popular means of transportation and the most preferred in rural communities like Asanbori in the West Gonja District of the Savannah Region.Īsanbori is a settler community with a population of 215 people mostly made up of farmers who have travelled from various parts to farm in the area and have made it their home. For most people in northern Ghana, the motorbike is a priced possession. ![]()
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