Vura begins talks on UNDP Climate Adaptation Project

Following the signing ofa Climate Change and Adaptation Project with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) under United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in February 2021, Vura Ward has proceeded on with consultations to get the ball rolling.

The Climate Change and Adaptation Project focuses on waste and pollution reduction, and back yard farming targeting Vura Ward.

About 42 community representatives from the 12 communities of the Vura ward attended the Ward’s first development project awareness meeting held at the Kukum SDA School, yesterday.

According to the Vura Ward Project Officer, Francis Paulsen the meeting was to inform all community representatives to be aware of the UNDP funded projects that are proposed for the Vura ward.

“This is the first phase of the funding assistance from the UNDP. The second part will be community consultations and awareness which is going to happen after this meeting,” Mr Paulsen said.

Honiara City Councillor for Vura Ward, Reginald Ngati said after the first meeting, the 42 community representatives will return to their communities and choose 20 participants to assist in carrying out the task to organise a series of awareness within the 12 communities.

“The 20 people from each community must be gender balanced, including women, men, and youths.

“So the 240 people will meet as of next week, to participate in a wider awareness to inform all Vura Ward residents of the UNDP funded projects and how we as a Ward will utilise the money for the benefit of all residents within the ward.  

“After the awareness, we will then prepare a report and then present it to UNDP and inform them of the proposed plan for the funding assistance,” Ngati said.

Ngati sees the funding assistance as a blessing for the Vura Ward, knowing very well that the Honiara City Council (HCC) is not in a good state at this time.

“All along the focus of HCC towards the 12 Wards in Honiara is not about ownership, not about calling on citizens to take responsibility in their own environment and own ward.

“So when we want to carry out our plans in the communities, it will not work out as expected,” Ngati said.

In terms of waste management in Honiara City, the Councillor said it is obvious that the HCC is collecting rubbish but it is not enforcing control on people and how they dispose their wastes. Therefore, what Vura Ward is going to do with the opportunity through the funding is to educate people to care for their surroundings and environment, to be responsible for what they dispose as rubbish.

“That is one of the reasons why I see this funding as a blessing to Vura Ward. It will really connect the vision of the HCC to make Honiara City a clean city by strengthening waste management in the communities and I am ready to work with the representatives of the 12 communities in my ward,” the Vura Ward Councillor said.

Meanwhile, senior Honiara resident and Vura Ward elder, Tom Nanau said the opportunity provided by the UNDP is a breakthrough where the ward will continue to aspire to further advancement to achieve the goals for each community.

“For us Vura Ward, we want our environment to be clean but we do not have the resources to support us. With this funding now available, we will have the resources needed to translate our ideas to the ground level and into households,” Mr Nanau said.

He added that the UNDP assistance will pave the way for Vura Ward communities to become model site which all the other wards within Honiara City can learn from and look up to.

“With this funding coming in, Vura Ward will be going very far out into the future. It will also hit the national government’s target to make Honiara City clean and a green city.”

–VURA WARD MEDIA

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