Help Fund a School to Access Clean Water in Kenya

August, September and October have been months for recollection, planning, strategizing and carrying out new needs assessments in the communities we work with. However, the most recent month has seen a more somber tone with an outbreak of typhoid striking several communities on the small island that we are currently working with. These recent events within our host communities have driven home the importance of careful conservation and management of fresh water resources on this fragile Island ecosystem.

The team have however not been idle – assisting to deliver valuable WASH lessons in some of the affected communities, developing plans for the installation of compost toilets in key areas, and moving forward with installing additional concrete bases for rainwater tanks in Moturiki. Visiting government health experts have highlighted all of these as necessary activities to help improve access to clean water, and help prevent any future outbreaks. This is all the more pertinent as Fiji experienced below average rainfall for the previous quarter.

As part of this work, staff and volunteers have also conducted the first stage of workshops discussing compost toilets with communities in all 10 villages on the island of Moturiki. This early stage, ground level approach is critical to the overall success of the project, and often invaluable contextual lessons are learnt – helping to avoid and navigate potential future complications.

There still remains a great deal of work to be done, with an excess of 20 concrete bases still needing to be constructed across Moturiki in order to guarantee the longevity of rainwater harvesting tanks. Our team are also exploring and helping to facilitate community access to government incentivized schemes for rainwater harvesting tanks. These tanks are a costly investment for a family and although we have already successfully installed, repaired or recovered in excess of 150 000L of rainwater harvesting capacity - a great deal additional storage will be required to ensure true water security for the community. This is where your generous donations can play a key role, helping to provide the materials and resources needed.

As always, thank you so much to all of our donors, volunteers, staff and community partners! These projects are only able to be as successful as they are because of your contributions. GVI Caqalai and the Moturiki community send a huge vinaka vakalevu (thank you) to all of you.

The GVI Caqalai Team

Dear Supporters, 

It’s hard to believe another three months have passed since our last quarterly update – things have been moving along here, and the Caqalai community team has continued to be busy with rainwater harvesting maintenance on Moturiki Island.

Since our last report in May we have completed additional repairs at 4 villages, namely; Nasesara, Naicabecabe, Uluibau and Wawa villages. This has helped to guarantee the longevity of rainwater harvesting infrastructure and ensure the provision of clean water in these villages. This is particularly critical as we have seen out the months of heavy rainfall and are entering the dryer season here in Fiji.

In April 2017, we also completed another rainwater harvesting assessment in all 10 villages on Moturiki Island. In this assessment, we have determined the need for 26 concrete bases to be constructed for the plastic water tanks to sit on. The construction of the concrete bases is scheduled to begin in July 2017 and will take place over the next 6 months.

Having the proper platforms for rainwater harvesting tanks dramatically lengthens their lifespan due to the weight and pressure of a fully laden water tank. A single rainwater harvesting tank can represent a massive investment for a family, so ensuring they last as long as possible directly impacts water security in these communities.

As always, thank you so much to all of our donors, volunteers, staff and community partners! These projects are only able to be as successful as they are because of your contributions. GVI Caqalai and the Moturiki community say a huge vinaka vakalevu (thank you) to all of you.

With Gratitude, 
GVI Fiji