The people of North West Choiseul welcomed the handover ceremony to mark the completion of SITCo’s project Splash in their area which provides them access to clean water. The project whilst funded by SITCo is done in partnership with YWAM who provide the technical expertise as well as training to the villagers for ongoing maintenance.
Access to clean water is a basic human need, yet many remote communities around the world still lack access to this essential resource. SITCo has completed seven such projects in 2023 alone in Loboro, Niukiki, Moli Camp, Moli Station and Mamarana in Choiseul and in Naurua and Wai’e’e in Malaita Province.
The recipients of Project Splash in North West Choiseul expressed their sincere gratitude during the handover ceremony on Friday 15th of December. Chief Lemeus, who represented the villagers said they used to fetch fresh drinking water out of springs in the sea. “Now we access to fresh drinking water from the multiple taps that Project Splash has provided us in front of the comfort of our houses”.
Mark Lerch from YWAM who is the project specialist commented, “It was difficult to find fresh water catchment in a lot of these areas, but the team did a great job in drilling in higher locations where they can find good water catchment for the communities”. “It is rewarding to see the end result as the villagers enjoy having fresh drinking water at their doorsteps for a change” Mark added.
Minister of Finance Hon. Harry Kuma who was the Guest of Honor at the ceremony thanked SITCo for their ESG initiative that proved to be a blessing for his people. “I, myself who grew up in Molevanga as a child, would join the village kids to go and fetch water during the day” the Minister said. Other villagers also expressed their gratitude and explained how they never had access to fresh drinking water for so many years. Also Present at the hand over ceremony was the MPA Hon. Samson Takubala and the Provincial Secretary Mr. Geoffrey Pakipota. MPA Hon. Takubala acknowledged in his speech that this is such a great gift to the recipient communities.
General Manager of SITCo Mark Filimontsev, during the handover ceremony, said that it was a privilege for him and his team to be in Taro to see for themselves the way that Project Splash has touched so many lives. SITCo has a grand ambition to provide access to clean drinking water to more than twenty thousand people who are deprived of these necessities due to remoteness and capacity issues. ESG sits high as a priority for SITCo, as part of the BAT Group ambition to deliver positive social impact to local communities.
–SPLASH MEDIA
