ADRA COLLABORATES WITH WDC TO IMPLEMENT SANITATION PROGRAM IN SOUTH VELA

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Solomon Islands Vella Office is currently partnering with the Ward Development Committee (WDC) of Bilua Ward 8 in South Vela, Western Province, to implement a sanitation program.

Members of the WDC were informed about the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) program when ADRA SI and UNICEF signed the agreement in September 2023 for the implementation of the sanitation program. ADRA Vela invited WDC committee members to the signing ceremony and the official launching of the sanitation program in Gizo September last year, where the WDC expressed full support for the program.

Andrew Lupapitu, the WDC Compliance Officer for Ward 8 South Vela, was excited with the CLTS Program implemented by ADRA in Ward 8 of South Vela.

 “Under our partnership with ADRA Vela, WDC has been able to fund 10 communities with sato pan toilets and bags of cement across Bilua Ward 8 in South Vela,” Lupapitu stated.

He revealed that approximately $11,620 had been spent to purchase these sato pan toilets and bags of cement.

“We have used grants from our last quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year to fund these sato pan toilets and bags of cement,” Lupapitu added.

As part of the initiative, Lupapitu officially handed over 39 Sato pan toilets and 5 bags of cement to Kolokolo Community on Friday, March 25, to kickstart their sanitation program. Following the handover, work on designing the sato pan raiser commenced for the communities that received their sato pan toilets from WDC.

Costas P. Vigopala, a recipient of the sato pan toilet from Kolokolo, expressed thankfulness to both ADRA and WDC for their partnership.

“I would like to thank WDC for funding these sato pan toilets and cement for us since we don’t have the money to purchase them. Money is very scarce here in the village,” Vigopala stated.

“Thank you, ADRA and WDC, for the partnership, and rest assured that our communities will work closely with WDC and ADRA for the successful implementation of this program,” he concluded.

The sanitation program is part of the Solomon Islands National Sanitation Sustainability Plan (NSSP) Phase 2 program, funded by UNICEF and implemented by ADRA.

This initiative is currently implemented across three islands in the Western Province at Rannogah, Vela, and Kolobangara.

The program was started in September 2023 and scheduled to conclude in September 2024.

The NSSP Phase 2 program has been instrumental in driving sanitation improvements throughout these islands.