In October 16th , ChildFund Kiribati (CFK) team, together with Water and Sanitation Technichian from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE), travelled to Tabiteuea North to support fresh water access to communities on the two islets of Aiwa and Tenatorua.
This activity is part of the Water Security component of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) programme, which aims to improve communities' access to fresh drinking water during the El Niño period.
Through this project, four portable Aquatrek Desalination units were provided from MISE, with two units allocated to each islet. The machines use desalination technology to turn seawater or brackish water into fresh water. Each Aquatrek unit can produce up to 50 litres of fresh water per hour. This temporary support is helping communities maintain access to fresh drinking water during this challenging period while their existing desalination machines are not working and remain under maintenance.
During the visit, the CFK team conducted community consultations on both islets, with a total of 40 community members taking part. The consultations focused on discussing the installation and use of the new machines, setting community rules and responsibilities, and establishing Water User Groups (WUGs).
MISE Water and Sanitation Technichian led the installation of all four units, with two machines installed on each islet. He also provides training to appointed community member on each islet on how to operate and care for the machines. Both the consultations and installation activities were successfully completed as planned.
Following the completion of these activities, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the Tabiteuea North Mayor, witnessed by the Council Clerk and Outer Island Assistant Infrastructure Technician.
As the AHP project is scheduled to end in January 2027, any issues and repairing needed for the machines, as well with the continuation monitoring costs, will continue to be covered under AHP funding until the project ends.
ChildFund Kiribati sincerely thanks the Australian Government for funding this initiative through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP). We also extend our appreciation to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy for its great cooperation and technical support throughout the visit. We also sincerely give thanks to the communities of Aiwa and Tenatorua for their participation and support.
