Community Embraces Clean Water After Years of Relying on Unsafe Sources

The Mamagota Community in Siwai District, South Bougainville, has faced challenges with accessing clean drinking water. 

For years, more than 280 people in the community have been using a small creek for drinking and cooking, unaware that the water was contaminated. 

Glenda Imaroto, an outspoken woman in her community told us of the plight that the community faced as a result of drinking this contaminated water and the negative impact it had on the community members, especially young children. 

 ‘’This was our only water source for drinking and cooking, for washing we go to another big river, this water has been here for years and we had been using it every day until last year, every month we would get sick, our children especially were sick and would complain of stomach aches, malaria, and diarrhea, and every month we would visit the clinic’’, said Glenda. 

She said it was also very costly to take sick children and themselves into town as transportation costs were as high as K50.00 and K100.00. 

Their nearest health clinic is Monoet Health Centre and it takes two hours -hours on foot and one hour by vehicle to reach it. However, Private Motor Vehicles (PMVs) rarely come to this part of the community and most times they have to carry sick children and walk on foot to and from, making the journey more stressful. Most of the health issues of the Mamagota community were caused by the contaminated water and they felt they had no hope as this was their main drinking water source. 

 This was until September of last year when World Vision installed a new water tank in the community through its Rain Water Catchment program, bringing significant improvements to the lives of the people in Mamagota.  This initiative is of the Government of New Zealand-funded, Well Being Outcomes to End Violence, Enable Livelihoods and Improve Nutrition (WOVEN) project. 

The WOVEN project has four components; Savings for Transformation, Marketing, Nutrition, and Gender Inclusion Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI). The WOVEN project is carried out by World Vision, and the Mamagota community has been involved in this initiative for the last four years. 

The Water Catchment project is part of the Nutritional aspect of the WOVEN program and it aims to address water sanitation issues by collecting freshwater from rainfall using the catchment area, which in this case is the roof surface. This provides the community with access to clean drinking water and offers a sustainable solution to water scarcity in the Mamagota community. 

After the installation of the tank, the community no longer suffers from frequent illnesses, and visits to the health care center have become less frequent. 

Representing the Mamagota community, Glenda Imaroto expressed gratitude and praised the WOVEN project for the Rainwater Catchment initiative saying it has greatly improved their lives. 

‘’We as a community are so blessed to be a part of this WOVEN project, it has greatly improved our livelihood with all the pieces of training we have received and the money we have saved through our S4T savings group, and now this water tank could not have come at a better time, this is something we all have wanted for so long and we are just overjoyed that we now get to enjoy clean water without having to worry about anything’’ said Glenda. 

 She mentioned the positive impact on the community, especially on the children who now have access to clean drinking water. 

‘’After the installation of the tank, people in the community are no longer sick, their frequent health center visits have become less frequent after using the water from the tank’ ’said Glenda as other members of the community agreed. 

The tank is installed right in the heart of the community to signify good community spirit, ownership, and harmony, and to unify the community. 

With only 40 percent of Papua New Guinea's population having access to clean water, initiatives such as the Rainwater Catchment project have made a significant difference, especially for women and girls who often carry the responsibility of fetching water. 

Initiatives like the Rainwater catchment, have brought about remarkable changes, making it safer and more convenient for women, girls, young children, and the most vulnerable members of the community to have easier access to safe drinking water, whilst addressing water sanitation and hygiene issues. 

More importantly, little children in the Mamagota community now enjoy clean drinking water right at their doorstep and couldn’t be happier. 

Mamagota community’s hope for the future is to have more tanks installed at their home fronts to cater to the growing population. 

Meanwhile, the Rainwater Catchment initiative will be implemented in other communities, helping to transform lives and keep children healthy one tank at a time.