BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
THE Rapid Employment Project (REP) completed a new small access infrastructure subproject making daily travel much easier and safer for Titinge community.
A Jacob’s Ladder has been built up the steep hills of Titinge 2 community, making walking up and down safer and easier.
The new ladder is actually the second small access subproject under REP’s pilot activities agreed under Honiara City Council and the Guadalcanal province.
30 community members from Titinge 2 and Valeato communities are contractors of this development.
They are ones who previously undertaken one week Life Skills Pre-Employment Training under the REP in preparation for implementation of their subproject.
Work started on the 100-metre long Jacob’s ladder on March 6, 2018 and was completed after three weeks on March 28.
Total cost of the subproject is around $62,000 which includes labour and materials.
The new development is a big leap from what was once a slippery track especially during rainy season.
Philistus Meke said she was able to apply what learnt from the Pre-Employment Training about ‘Safety at Work’ such as wearing proper work clothes and how to handle hand tools and now understands how concrete ladders are made.
David Koevania, the group leader said he has picked up skills in ‘form work’, laying down wire mesh and scaffolding for the concrete to run along.
Christina who is a Form 2 student at Mbokona and Stella a Form 1 student said it was very hard to get up the hill in rainy weather.
They said one has to find a safe foot rest and use aid of a stick while going up or down the path.
With the new pedestrian it changed Titinge community as there is no longer a tiring job like before and do not have to take long way around.
It is also women and girls who done washing at the Community western top end of Titinge benefit from such difference in terms of easy accessibility to water source.
