Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott has visited Ghana as part of the club’s Cityzens Giving programme to support a community initiative providing clean water and hygiene education in Cape Coast.
Working alongside global water technology company Xylem, employee volunteers and members of the South Ghana Official Supporters Club, Lescott helped build two water filtration towers for the Dehia community and the Oguaa Football for Hope Centre.
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The filtration systems are expected to provide safe drinking water for about 1,800 people each day, helping reduce water-borne diseases, ease the burden of fetching water, and improve school attendance among children.
As part of the visit, more than 35 young leaders from Play Soccer Ghana received training from Manchester City community coaches before organising a football and water education festival for 100 children.
Children in the community also participated in reading sessions featuring Splash, a children’s character created by Xylem Watermark to promote water conservation and hygiene education across Africa.
Lescott described the visit as an honour, saying it was inspiring to witness the positive impact young leaders were making in their communities through football while contributing to the construction of the water towers.
Play Soccer Ghana young leader Emmanuella said the project had transformed access to clean water for children in her community and inspired her to continue making a positive difference.
The initiative forms part of the Xylem Water Heroes Academy, a global partnership between Xylem and Manchester City’s Cityzens Giving programme that empowers young people in 10 cities worldwide to tackle local water challenges through football.
