LSBU alumnus tackles poverty in Ghana
Terry Milton, 1969 LSBU Chemistry alumnus, has spent his retirement working on a “Community enrichment system” in Ghana. Terry spoke to the LSBU Alumni Association and explained what exactly that is:
“It is not a charity, it is a self-sustaining, self-financing business aimed at eradicating poverty for good.”
Terry founded the project, funded it himself and has been coordinating it (with a team of 107 people) from the very beginning. It has been designed with the hope of permanent changes to life in Ghana; he explained what the initial stages of the system involve:
“The first phase in the project is to make seven boreholes to extract clean drinking water from the ground below. This is the initial step in getting rid of water borne sicknesses, diarrhoea and dehydration, conditions that plague the population, especially the young. Each borehole pays back into a fund to pay for more as well as providing a good income for those doing the work. I want everyone involved to live on in history; therefore, every borehole will have a number and the name of the person who made it possible.”
Each borehole costs £2,000, but once it is up and running it provides a constant supply of clean water which creates a knock-on effect to other factors within the local community. Once you have a water supply fish ponds can be populated to improve food supplies and introduce protein into the diets of the local community. The water also allows for crops to be harvested throughout the year rather than relying on natural rainfall. The generators used to run the boreholes can also be used to run freezers which can store fish and other produce, allowing a back-up supply of food. Finally, fish wastes can be used to fertilise soil and therefore grow crops at regular intervals. Terry hopes that this is a good starting point for promoting health, education, the arts, a power supply, entertainment, sport and many other life opportunities in Ghana.
Reflecting on his project, Terry said:
“I have never been so proud or felt so good, about anything I have done before and the team I have put together to make it possible. I want this story to be known to inspire the next generation.”
If you feel inspired by Terry’s project, please contact us for further information.