Changing Lives in Innovative Partnership (CLIP) has commissioned a solar mechanised borehole at Kupulma in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region to improve access to water for community members and livestock and help reduce minor conflicts in the area.
The facility, commissioned on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, was provided as part of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence among communities, particularly in an area that receives a significant number of Fulbe herders due to its proximity to Burkina Faso.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Executive Director of CLIP said the initiative was prompted by concerns raised by community members over inadequate access to water for both humans and livestock.
He explained that CLIP engaged its partners after the concern was raised and subsequently secured support to construct the solar mechanised borehole.
According to him, the project forms part of the objectives of the Support to Cross-Border Communities Vulnerable to Insecurity and Fragility (ACTIF) Project, which seeks to foster peaceful coexistence among communities.
“The ACTIF main objective is fostering peaceful coexistence. We have done this to bring the people together under a peaceful umbrella for the community to thrive,” he said.
The Executive Director stressed that CLIP was committed to ensuring the sustainability of the facility beyond its commissioning.
He disclosed that a management committee had been established to oversee the operation and maintenance of the borehole, with the chairman of the committee pledging to ensure that the facility was properly managed.
He expressed appreciation to the Support to Cross-Border Communities Vulnerable to Insecurity and Fragility (ACTIF), Acting for Life and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs for their support towards the project.
The Executive Director further noted that although several communities had pressing development needs, limited resources had compelled CLIP to prioritise communities considered more vulnerable.
He said the organisation would continue to support other communities progressively as resources became available.
“There are other challenging needs of the community, but all cannot be tackled at once. We will therefore do it gradually based on available resources,” he stated.
Beneficiaries of the project expressed appreciation to CLIP and its partners for responding to their concerns. They said the improved access to water would ease pressure on existing water sources and help reduce minor conflicts between community members and livestock owners.
The commissioning ceremony brought together the District Chief Executive for Sissala West District, the Deputy Coordinating Director, traditional leaders, Assembly staff, community members, CLIP staff and the media.
The project is expected to contribute to improved access to water while strengthening peaceful relations and cooperation among the different groups living and operating within the Kupulma community.
