Emily’s 100-Metre Daily Walk to Fetch Water Comes to an End
Emily Naivalurua’s days of walking about 100 metres to a river to wash her family’s clothes and fetch water to consume is now a worry of the past.
This follows the completion of the Ecological Purification System (EPS) project commissioned at Nawairabe Village in Nasikawa District in Navosa last week.
It was commissioned by the Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Jovesa Vocea.
The project was funded by Government at a cost of more than $40,000. It was also co-funded by the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Governance for Resilience Project, adopting Risk-Informed Development (RID) measures ensuring the sustainability and resilience of the project.
Ms Naivalurua, a mother of five children, said the project brought much relief to the villagers, especially women who could now access clean and safe drinking water inside their households.
“Before I had to walk for at least 100 metres to get to a small river that runs by the village to wash clothes and also fetch water for cooking, consumption and bathing,” Ms Naivalurua said.
“There was not much we could do, and we were always concerned about any health implications this consumption of untreated water may have on our health and that of our children.
“But when we were informed of this assistance by Government, we were not only happy, but we were very much relieved knowing that a huge burden has now been lifted off our shoulders.”
Mr Vocea told villagers that Government would conduct similar projects across rural and maritime communities around the country. He also acknowledged the previous Government for initiating the project.