Life is Much More Easy

Children from Kukuri Village enjoying water from one of the tanks.

Lucy Ritia, like all mothers with an unconditional love, struggles for the health and wellbeing of her three disabled adult children every day.
Lucy from Kukuri Village, Selau District in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville says before they got assistance her main daily chore was to fetch clean drinking water for her family.“Being a mother to three disabled adults is a daunting and grim task, especially when there is no male figure around to help with the hard or heavy work. I never gave up on my children, I know it is my responsibility as their mother to provide for them clean water every day and that is what I do,” she said.She says she walks long distances to fetch clean water for drinking and most of her time is taken up transporting water back and forth to their house.“All my kids are disable and back then it was difficult to access clean water. I used to fear for the health of my children that’s why I sacrifice every day to walk long distances just to find clean water,” she said.Lucy says she is grateful for the assistance of the Australian Government with the installation of the water tanks, which now eases her daily burden.“My three children are now much healthier, we have clean water for cooking and washing every day,” she said.Chairman of the Kukuri Community Group, Andrew Kamete says they fetch water from bore holes and every day was a tussle to find fresh drinking water, especially when it rains or when salt water reaches the bore holes.He said the Community agreed to specifically install a water tank at Lucy’s residence so that she and her family can have easy access clean water.“I am happy to see the change in Lucy’s family and I want that for all the people in my community,” Mr. Kamete said.
He adds that more than 400 people in the Kukuri Community now benefit from the 18 water tanks installed.The Kukuri Water and Sanitation Project was launched in March 2016 and is funded by the Australian Government through the Strongim Pipol Strongim Nesen Program a total cost of K81,433.00.