The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Project for the Yangoru-Saussia District was officially launched by Australian High Commissioner to PNG, Bruce Davies, this week.
The launching was held at Baimuru Village in East Yangoru.
Baimuru Village hosted a celebratory welcome for the delegation led by local MP and Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Richard Maru, and High Commissioner Davies.
Baimuru is one of the sites in the District which has implemented the WaSH Program under funding from Oxfam and the DFAT Australia and the District Development Authority. The village also put in 10 percent of the cost of the project.
The Project has been hailed a success and will benefit mostly the womenfolk.
“We are so humbled and relieved to witness this day and we recall our past challenging days in going to and fro, up and down looking for clean fresh water,” said women’s representative, Lina Wingu Manisembi.
Minister Maru commended the Village for taking the lead in this project and becoming a model for the Province and the country.
“We take off our hats to you Baimuru Village. In this term of Parliament you are the first,” Maru said.
High Commissioner Davies said implementation of the WaSH Program will see an improvement in the lives of the community.
“If you’ve got a healthy community that has good services and nothing more basic than the service of water, that is going to make a big difference for the community,” said Davies.
The Sepik WASH program aims to improve public health by increasing poor women and men’s access to safe water and sanitation in East Sepik.
The outcomes of the project are:
1. Increased access to sanitation, hygiene and clean water;
2. Reduced gender inequality relating to access to and management of sanitation, hygiene and clean water; and
3. Strengthened Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) capacities of target communities.