Our club is one of the participants in a Rotary Global Grant to assist communities in Papua New Guinea.
To give you a small idea of the efforts of the organisers, see here a photo of the office of Mr Osivo Ombuano, a Rotarian from the Goroka club, and a villager who will benefit from the project.
Project Background:
This project is located in Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands province. Mr Osivo Ombuano, Supervisor of a previous water project and Rotarian (Rotary Club of Goroka), has proposed a water supply project that utilises the spring-fed Supurunda water source. This project is located at Ovia village and the water source itself is at Supurunda. Ovia is approximately 30 kilometres (a 1 hour drive over rough roads/tracks) northwest of Goroka township.
Together with its adjacent villages, there is a population of around 3,000 people to service. Currently, water for daily consumption is sourced from the Gota and Asaro Rivers. Villagers have to trek long distances from their homes to collect water for up to 2 hours in the morning and again in the evening. This task is allocated to the women and children and the time taken prevents them from attending school and performing other more productive tasks.
The Supurunda water supply has enough water to supply a population of just over 9,700 people. So, for Ovia’s 3,000 villagers there is ample water supply to meet basic needs, plus more – in fact, each person will have access to approximately 65 litres of clean water per day. The Gota
River water will still act as an adjunct water supply, but the focus of this water will change from servicing basic consumption needs to agriculture and other productive uses.
The proposal is to construct a small artisan weir in front of the Supurunda water source (spring) to catch water. This will then be piped 135m slightly downhill to a strainer box that will trap sediment and organic matter. From there, the water will be piped 280m (50m vertical height) to two 9,000 litre water distribution tanks. From these two distribution tanks, the water will go through approximately 7 km (250m vertical height) distribution network of pipes and tanks to taps at schools, hospitals and clinics and public access points in Ovia and its neighbouring villages of Amaufa, Lindima and Lenuka.
In addition to their first new clean water supply, this project addresses health, basic education and economic development issues. At present, 15 water-borne disease cases present at the local clinic each week. Children and women are invariably tasked with collecting the water and travel long distances to do so each morning and afternoon. For the children, this takes time away from attending school. For the women, it takes time away from more productive input into the communities' economies.
The bases for tanks have been constructed:
The weir has been constructed:
The pipe line is being laid: Note Mr Osivo Ombuana very proud of the pipe.
The villagers are being trained in hygiene. This photo shows the use of a tippy tap, where a bottle of water is suspended from a cord over a stick and a looped cord attached to the bottle is pulled down by the user's foot to pour water from the bottle - very hygienic!
Well done to all involved!