BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
A sanitation project that aims to eliminate open defecation in Marava community, Ranongga Island, Western Province, has come under heavy criticism for being incomplete and ineffective.
Three years after the initiative was launched, residents say the project to make Marava a “No Open Defecation” zone has failed to achieve its goal due to the lack of water supply.
In an exclusive interview with Island Sun, community member Denty Aqolo expressed frustration, saying that while toilet houses were built, they remain largely unusable.
“This is the reason why I said the project is incomplete. These people constructed flush toilets, but there is no water supply. How can we use these toilets without water?” Aqolo questioned.
He said residents are forced to carry water from nearby streams just to flush the toilets – a daily burden that defeats the project’s purpose.
“This development adds to our hardship instead of solving the problem,” Aqolo added, calling for future projects to include proper water infrastructure.
He also said the Marava Community has no water supply so people use a nearby stream to collect water.
Aqolo said there are potential water sources close to Malole village suitable to provide enough water for the community.
He calls on other donor partners to help his community with a water supply project.
Niubare Community Chief, Rodrick Tikera, shared similar concerns, noting that many of the toilets built under the same initiative in his community also lack water connections.
“I don’t know what happened to the project. It’s been over three years now and no one came back to finish it,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of Niubare and Marava women, Magaret Tikera said keeping a household without proper water supply is a huge challenge.
She said women have to walk to the streams to collect water for cooking, drinking and also for the toilets.
“It has been very difficult and painful for us women to do this job every year. Sometimes I wonder whether there is a government or leaders to help us,” Tikera said.
She said water is important not only for the toilets but for daily household chores.
A billboard at Malole village identifies the project as being funded by Australia Aid and the European Union, with support from the Solomon Islands Government and Western Provincial Government.
The Marava case highlights a broader issue that while donor-funded projects are often rolled out across Solomon Islands, questions remain about their planning, implementation, and long-term sustainability.
*Reporting for this story was supported by Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS)
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