For the first time in their lives, people in four villages on the Vanuatu island of Tanna in the South Pacific now have access to clean water.
For many people throughout the South Pacific, accessing clean water is a daily challenge that significantly impacts their quality of life, explained the Church’s Pacific Newsroom.
Some of the villagers were walking long distances each day to carry water back for cooking, cleaning and bathing.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognized this need and worked with Vanuatu Agricultural Supply to speak with community leaders and identify their water needs and available sources.
Work began in November 2024, and by the end of December 2024, clean water began flowing in Naluken, Loupukas, Lapkit and Lume.
The Church assisted with design, materials and training and the community provided labor to install the system — such as building water collection boxes, digging and burying piping, and helping to install large water tanks, solar panels and village taps.
Those who provided the labor on the projects worked closely with Vanuatu Agricultural Supply and the Church humanitarian missionaries to learn how the system works and how to maintain it when it is finished.
It was one of several recent projects the Church and its members supported throughout the Church’s Pacific Area. Others include school improvements in Samoa and Papua New Guinea, and new seedling nurseries in Tonga.
New school in Papua New Guinea
Children in the village of Babaka, in the Rigo district of southern Papua New Guinea, now have new classrooms and other improvements to their school.
Rilo Primary School had aging and decaying buildings, which were difficult for the students and staff to use.
Church humanitarian missionaries became aware of the problems and found ways to help, explained a news release from Pacific Newsroom.
Funding from the Church allowed contractors to build four new modern and comfortable classrooms on risers to protect against future flooding from rains and storm surges in the area. And new housing was provided for teachers who typically are provided living quarters at schools in Papua New Guinea.
At the dedication program on Feb. 7, Babaka Branch President Voi Tau said: “The Church reflects the love of Christ. We show our love of Christ by the way we show how we love our neighbors in Babaka. We are very proud to be part of this work, and to be members of the Church.”
Improvements to school assembly hall in Samoa
Villagers in Lauli’l, a small community about 20 miles east of Apia, Samoa, helped refurbish a school assembly hall with funding from the Church.
The hall is used by school children for assemblies but also by the community and various churches for events, activities and worship services. It was in need of significant repairs when the village school committee reached out to the Church for help.
The improvements included refurbishing the assembly hall floor, installing 21 ceiling fans, replacing the restrooms, creating a new library to free up a classroom, and installing water tanks to provide clean water to the canteen and restrooms.
During the project, the high chief of the village and others rallied the community to contribute service to the project.
Together, they painted the hall, added new mesh to the windows, installed secure entry doors and laid floor tiles in the restrooms, reported Pacific Newsroom on Jan. 25.
Seedling nurseries in Tonga
In September 2024, two new seedling nurseries were finished in the communities of ‘Alaki and Fo’ui in Tongatapu, Tonga.
The Women Development Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests asked the Church to fund the nurseries’ construction in order to encourage self-reliance through home gardening and healthy eating. The division in return agreed to provide seedlings and training each year and maintain the nurseries.
About 88% of the Tongan population live in rural areas where they are dependent on agriculture and gardens, explained a news release from Pacific Newsroom.
During the handover ceremony, Seini Ela Vaipulu expressed her gratitude to God for the Church’s help. “This may look small, but it is not a little thing. This is our grassroots effort to give the people access to safe, healthy food.”
Kalati Hafoka with the division also thanked God and the Church for “making our dreams come true.”
She said, “There is a Tongan proverb — ‘The reward of good work is more work.’ We look forward to more projects with you.”
