EU Rep Visits Selwyn College to Check Progress on WASH Facility Upgrades Funded under PGSD Project

Sponsored Advertisement

Selwyn College, October 31 — In a significant step for one of the main boarding schools in Guadalcanal Province, Selwyn College, the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facility is being rehabilitated and it will be soon handed over to the community as the European Union program manager, Francesco Ponzoni, could realize by himself during a visit to the school on Thursday 31. This initiative, funded by the European Union (EU) through the Provincial Governments and Service Delivery (PGSD) project implemented by UNDP, will mark the first accomplished activity under the sector grant component of the project, that is also supporting another school’s WASH facilities in the province.

Located in the Savulei ward of West Guadalcanal, Selwyn College is one of the province’s most prominent senior secondary schools, operated by the Anglican Church. Over time, the school has faced persistent challenges with water access due to ageing infrastructure and limited maintenance resources. The comprehensive ongoing rehabilitation under the EU-funded project is now addressing these issues, substantially improving the school’s water systems. The project entails repairs to the water storage tanks, cleaning of one of the three boreholes, new roof installation over storage tanks, installing a high-capacity water pump, and repairing the pipes linking the boreholes to the tanks.

With these enhancements, Selwyn College’s upgraded water supply will soon effectively serve the school’s 891 secondary students (450 males, 441 females), 121 primary students (54 boys and 67 girls), and 41 teachers and clinic staff, fulfilling critical water needs across student dormitories, the clinic, and staff housing.

The visit to the site counted with the presence of the deputy Premier of Guadalcanal Province, Hon.  Jonh Lee Saki, the Provincial Deputy Secretary, technical officers, officers from the provincial departments of Education and Health, as well as the EU’s Programme Manager, Mr. Francesco Ponzoni, UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative Ms. Raluca Eddon and PGSD Project Manager, Mr. Mozammel Haque.

This effort is part of a broader partnership between the Guadalcanal Provincial Government and the PGSD project, aimed at strengthening WASH services. With an initial grant of SBD 1,220,500 (USD 149,260), the provincial government is improving the WASH facility of another school in the province. These efforts are estimated to benefit over 1,290 individuals, promoting the fundamental rights to water and sanitation for 94 women, 124 men, 997 girls, and 75 boys across Guadalcanal Province.

Sponsored Advertisement