The Islands of Ribono, Nuotaea, and Kiebu are some of the remotest and most sparsely populated islets in the world. But no matter how far away or small, ChildFund still finds a way to bring aid to these vulnerable communities.
The water supply across these islets depends primarily on rainwater collection and ground water which is vulnerable to saline and waste contamination. Without power, it often falls to children to comb the beaches for scarce driftwood to build fires to boil water for drinking.
ChildFund’s solution was to install solar water distillation tanks across the three islets. Using solar power, the brackish groundwater is pumped into the distillation system which uses solar power to purify water - making it safe to drink. Families now have a reliable source of water even when there’s a lack of rainfall. For the 878 people across the 3 islets, having safe drinking water is life changing. Clean water has improved their health, and they are no longer spending valuable time on water related tasks. Children can study and parents can focus on growing nutritious food and income generating activities.
The project also included training local community leaders on how to repair and maintain the water tanks, so they continue to provide life giving water for the long term.
