International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA)

The IRHA Newsletter bRAINstorming No 41

The Villagers are very happy that there is now more capacity for water. The impact of having volunteers here

has changed our mindset of how we use our water. It has helped having the work coordinated, the village boys are working in with the volunteers. I would like to thank

you very much for this, I didnt dream this would happen here.

Apenisa Sivo Vunikoro Nisisilli Village Chief

Global Vision International Daniel Lund, Fiji Country Director

Water, Water Everywhere but not a drop to drink,

This line from Samuel Taylor Coleridges Rime of the Ancient Mariner seemed very appropriate during our initial assessments of the water problems affecting the villages in the small islands of the Northern Yasawas. When most people imagine a place where water is scarce- images of dusty cities, African deserts and lost travelers searching for that far off oasis spring to mind. Fiji with its image of being just that oasis and known internationally for the famous Fiji Water brand has more than its fair share of water problems. One of the main regions afflicted by a lack of water is the idyllic Yasawa Island chain.

In early 2011 Global Vision International was approached by The Yasawa Trust Foundation with a request to help solve ongoing water issues in the Yasawas by setting up a volunteer construction program that would over a period of time increase the overall rainwater holding capacity of 27 Yasawan villages. The Yasawa Trust Foundation was formed by local businesses and sponsors with a common interest in helping to improve the infrastructure of Yasawan Villages with specific attention to four main focuses: water, education, health and sustainable power.

Between June and October of this year, with the help of a small task force of volunteers from all walks of life, we have added over 90,000litres of rainwater holding capacity across three villages. Additionally, our team have installed the first basic filtration systems in the Northern Yasawa villages, installed a system of lockable taps, and conducted improvements on existing infrastructure. The projects ethos can be summed up as Wi ni bula or water for life, with the basic goal of enabling communities to have access to a minimum of 5litres of drinking water per person per day. In the past, the dry season droughts have been severe to the point that the government has been required to ship drinking water up to the islands by barge- schools closed, and the communities suffered. These porous volcanic islands lack the natural water catchment that is common in the islands in the wetter eastern side of Fiji and this coupled with the hot dry weather of the burning west has caused an ongoing struggle with water for up to 6 months of the year.

Providing a simple solution to a basic problem is incredibly rewarding for all involved. Our rainwater collection systems are simple but effective. We utilize the most appropriate roofs in the village to divert into large plastic holding tanks equipped with filters and lockable taps.

Recently, The Yasawa Trust Foundation have successfully interlinked these improvement goals with the Fijian Government and now with GVIs project management and human resources in place to oversee the management and quality of RWH system installations the Government has been able to deploy a number of tanks to the islands. This three-way partnership between Government, local fundraising, and voluntary labour is an exciting and productive approach to community support and infrastructure development.

International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA)

The IRHA Newsletter bRAINstorming No 41

In addition to our water improvement program, GVI volunteers also have a permanent presence as teaching assistants at Ratu Meli School after our education program was approved and registered by the Fijian Government. An holistic approach to community support has enabled us expand into other areas and we have begun building community vegetable gardens and basic irrigation systems with the hope of interlinking water education with new agriculture practice in the interest of nutrition and micro enterprising. In January we will begin working towards the establishment of locally managed Marine Protected Areas to help further protect the environmental assets of these communities.

Our recent membership with the IRHA has been an invaluable resource for our program as it has helped us to see our work in these local communities in a more global context. As a result of our successes here in the Yasawas, GVI hopes to start further water related assistance programs in other countries where rainwater harvesting can be utilized as a reliable solution.

For those interested in supporting these initiatives please visit www.vinakafiji.com.fj, for further information on how you can help.