Providing the tools for healthy communities
World Vision’s work in Solomon Islands’ Central Province is helping communities become healthier, with better nutrition and infrastructure. In November, as part of the Healthy Village Setting project World Vision and their partners handed over a selection of tools to 16 communities in Central Province to help them in creating a healthy village environment.
The project, which is running in the Russel Islands, is funded by the Australian Government and aims to improve the health and nutrition in children and families. The tool handover was just part of a larger strategy which includes training Village Health Committee members to understand what makes a healthy village and how to measure the health status of their village.
World Vision began the Healthy Village Setting project 16 months ago, working with Village Health Committees to draw up a model of how they would like their community to look in 10 to 15 years’ time. The project also provided training in how to become a healthy village and how to monitor the health status of the village. Each committee then formulated a 6-month action plan for implementation.
With limited tools, enacting the plan is a slow process for many communities. Yet despite this with patient and quiet dedication the Village Health Committees have cut down big trees, reconstructed roads, built houses, dug drains for proper drainage, dug pits for tins and cans to avoid mosquito breeding grounds and sea pollution, improved wells, improved their boat landing areas and improved animal fencing using local materials.
The handover of tools in November aimed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of this work and help the community achieve their goal faster.
In total World Vision, with support from their partner organisations; Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Rotary Club and Savo Russel Constituency donated over 470 items to the target communities including wheelbarrows, rakes, crow bars, shovels, cutting axe, mattocks, brush knives, and files.