Amongst 39 other communities across the country, Lambu Lambu, community in South East Vella la Vella in the Western Province is the latest community empowered to plan, construct, manage and maintain their own water supply systems, sanitation and personal and community level hygiene.
This followed a week long workshop training facilitated by the Western Province Environmental Health Department (EHD) with support from their national counterparts who were deployed from Honiara for the activity.
The training is necessary as part of engaging communities to take ownership and responsibility of their own Rural Water Sanitation and Hygiene (RWASH) Projects. “This is critical to ensure sustainability of such projects into the future and more importantly those engaged is not only confined to men but women and girls including youths said Mr. George Titiulu, Deputy Director National EHD.
He added that at the end of the day we want everyone in the communities to be able to access these services and also that these RWASH services we support can cater for the needs for different groups in the communities including those with special needs.
“So following the training the community can now proceed with planning and construction of their toilets, water supply systems and how they can effectively implement hygiene practices and behavior”, explained Mr. Titiulu.
Materials for the construction of water supply systems, the various designs for village based sanitation shard with the community including information, communication and education (IECs) materials to assist with hygiene practices and for promotion of healthy behaviors shared with the community.
Prior to holding the training at Lambu, Lambu, both the National and Provincial EHD teams paid a courtesy visit to the Premier of Western Province Hon. Christian Burley Mesepitu and the Provincial Secretary.
During the brief meeting issues around RWASH, issues, challenges, constraints including better effective ways forward to successfully implement RWASH projects in the province was discussed.
The Provincial Premier and the RWASH teams agreed on strengthened collaboration and cooperation as effective means forward and continuous sharing of information and updates to ensure that everyone is kept in the loop with RWASH progress in the province so to ensure that timely support is rendered where and when it is needed.
-MHMS Press
