The small village of Gatogokope has been in existence for over 100 years. But after over 10 decades of existence, the village has been living in total darkness for most of it.
Many residents have not experienced stable electricity since they were born. Living under the shadow of darkness is what they are used to. Holding torchlights in the dark, lighting up firewood, or simply walking in the dark, has been their nighttime routine for long.
However, that is about to change, thanks to that one call to Buzstopboys, a non-governmental voluntary group of young people who have taken up the challenge of cleaning up the streets of Ghana.
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Aside from making sure the capital and other areas are clean, Buzstopboys have started another initiative called “Lightning Up The City” to call on people to donate streetlights for them to install.
It was through this initiative that they decided to light up the Gatogokope community when that call came through.
“It was during that project that a guy reached out from Gatogope in the Volta [Region] saying that the community has existed for hundreds of years but they have no light in the community.
“So, if we can help with just a single street light. So, we took time to go and check because scammers all over, and when we got to the village, we saw that there’s no light,” founder of the Buzstopboys, Heneba Kwadwo Safo told myaccraonline.com in an exclusive interview.
The group shared a few videos about the situation after visiting the dark village, reached out to people on social media, and contacted KS Electricals, who supported the group with five streetlights.
Buzstopboys bought 15 streetlights at the cost of GHS1500 each from the donations. In addition, they purchased 25 light poles for GHS3500, which Safo says they got at a cheaper rate.
The project lasted for about six weeks and the group spent about GHS38,900 in total to provide electricity for the Gatogope village.
They quickly went back to the community because they didn’t want to be part of a long list of people who had promised and failed the community over the years.
For over 110 years, the village of Gatogokope has lived under the shadow of darkness, with limited access to light and electricity. The BuzstopBoys, a dedicated group of local youths, have united to change this narrative. Through innovative solutions and community collaboration,… pic.twitter.com/16by58joak
— Buzstopboys (@buzstopboys) October 25, 2024
Meanwhile, the group might make another trip to the community soon because they were not happy with the water situation they saw. There is inadequate access to water in the community which is having an adverse effect on education in Gatogope.
Buzstopboys seek to change this. “We also saw another problem that the school built for the community has no water, access to water in the community is also a problem. As a result, the school is almost abandoned, and the whole place is bushy.
“So, we are talking to a few people who have some cash, so we can go back to the community….and create a borehole, and clear [the bushy school compound] so that the teachers and community can have access to water,” Safo noted.
He added that the situation is negatively impacting children in the community.
“The closest school is abandoned and the next one is very far for any child to walk through that forest to school. There are 11 years, 13-year-old girls in the community who have no education. They can’t even tell you how old they are.”
Safo said he’s currently in touch with Marrion Motors so they partner to provide the needed amenities for the school to reopen.
Gatogope also lacks a health facility. Sick people have to be transported on motorbikes via the community’s deplorable roads to the nearest hospital, 30-45 minutes away, according to Safo.
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Before that happens though, the impact of the lightning project is enormous.
A video posted by the group on its social media pages shows elderly men and women celebrating and dancing with joy as children look bewildered, this time not in the dark but under the lights.
