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WaterAid taps on the shoulder of a mountain
Kombagora village is situated atop a steep, narrow ridge within the rugged Prince Alexander Mountains on the North Coast of Papua New Guinea. Up to three times a day, women and children make the dangerous journey down the slippery side of the mountain to the creek below to collect water, often barefoot and in darkness. On average each person in rural Papua New Guinea uses around 20 litres of water a day. Rita, a 35 year-old mother from the village, used to make three trips to the creek each morning to provide water for the six people in her family. The people of Kombagora also share this creek with several neighbouring villages for washing and bathing, creating a risk of contamination. Rita explained that "children and elders often got sick and I then had to make six or more trips for water a day." WaterAid has since June 2007 been working in partnership with local NGO HELP Resources using the integrated approach of providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. This project is funded by the European Commission's Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project and Arup. Rita, along with another 440 people residing in Kombagora, will be given back more than one day a week in time through the provision of a gravity flow water system which provides near by spring water at seven tap points in the village. "My whole life I have walked for an hour every day to collect water from the creek for my family," explains Rita "Now, I will walk maybe five minutes." Just like any mother, daughter, sister or wife in the world, the women of Kombagora hope to create the best life possible for themselves and their families. Roughly 91,000 'woman' hours will be gained by the people of Kombagora every year, simply through improved access to water. Rita explained: "The village's new water taps will help me a lot. It will give me time to look after my younger children and I will have more time to spend at the market, earning money for their education."
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