Providing Clean Water to Expected & New Mothers in Betio

                                                                              New and expected mothers with their Solvatten Units

A maternity ward nurse, along with CFK staff member Tabiri Angabeia, presented a Solvatten unit to a mother and her family at Betio Hospital.

To support access to clean drinking water, ChildFund Kiribati distributed 374 Solvatten units to mothers with newborn babies in Betio, South Tarawa. As part of this distribution the team held training in the Maneabas and 3 health clinics on how to operate the Solvatten units. 

This initiative was carried out in close collaboration with nurses and medical assistants (MAs) from the health clinics in each district of Betio, which provided the list of new and expectantmothers to ensure that every one of them received their units. 

Solvatten is a solar-powered water purifier that uses sunlight to kill harmful bacteria, providing safe drinking water without the need for electricity or firewood. It’s a valuable tool for families in Kiribati, where to access clean water is essential for health and wellbeing. 

ChildFund staff, Kireata Tetema demonstrating the usage of the Solvatten unit to one of the mothers attend training.

By distributing Solvatten units, CFK aims to lessen the workload for mothers by reducing the need to boil water, while ensuring they have safe water for drinking, cooking, and bathing their newborns.  

One of the mother says, “I’m very grateful to receive this Solvatten unit, as it will make my daily tasks much easier, particularly when it comes to providing fresh drinking water for my family, especially for my children, without the need to boil it every day.

This inititiative is funded by the New Zealand Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). 

Here are some photos from the Solvatten unit distribution