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There are more than 1,200 inhabited islands in the South Pacific, nearly half of which lack consistent access to safe water. We began a pilot project just over two years ago in the Republic of Kiribati—one of the most remote island groups in the Pacific. Our goal is to identify resources already available to the islanders and combine these with appropriate techniques to produce safe water. On an
island with a peak elevation of about 7 feet above sea-level, their existing wells often are brackish or otherwise contaminated, contributing to a disturbingly high rate of infant mortality. We’ve since constructed 8 rain-catchment tanks at all the primary schools and medical clinics. When the project is complete, our goal is for all of the island’s 2000+ residents to have access to safe drinking water. In 2008, we will send a team back for about six weeks to complete the work and continue the process of educating the islanders on how to build and maintain a safe water supply on their own. Our hope is that when we finally leave the island they will have the knowledge and experience to take care of their own water needs; that the only reason we would come back is for a visit with our friends.
Click here to see more of our Fanning Island Project |
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