A TOTAL of eleven schools in Honiara have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the rollout of a project to Improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday, 12th March 2025 at St. Barnabas Hall in Honiara.
It was attended by at least three representatives from each participating school.
The schools involved in the initiative include:
- Global Harvest Christian Academy
- Norman Palmer School
- Illia Community High School
- Emmaus Christian School
- Naha Community School
- Shammah Christian Academy
- Mt Horeb Community High School
- Zion Christian Academy
- White River Community High School
- St. Mary Tanagai Community High School
Speaking on behalf of the school representatives, Mr. Hampton Bekepio, Principal of White River Community High School, emphasized the importance of the project in fostering a healthier learning environment.
He expressed gratitude that their schools were selected among many in the capital and surrounding areas.
“The signing of this MOU is just the beginning. It is now up to us, the schools, to support this initiative and ensure its success,” he stated.
During the event, Live & Learn presented guidelines and schedules for establishing WASH Committees in schools.
Following the program, the 11 schools collected their WASH toolkits, which will support hygiene and sanitation improvements.
Live & Learn Country Director, Elmah Panisi, shared insights from past WASH projects, noting that a lack of teacher commitment had been a challenge.
To address this, the MoU explicitly outlines the roles and responsibilities of schools during the project’s implementation to ensure accountability.
Plan International Country Program Manager, Clement Manuri, acknowledged Solomon Water for selecting Plan International to help implement the WASH in Schools initiative.
He highlighted Plan’s extensive experience in WASH- related projects since its establishment in the Solomon Islands.
Additionally, a session was held for schools with outstanding water bills, allowing them to discuss solutions with Solomon Water’s billing team to ensure water connectivity in time for project implementation.
WASH in Schools is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through Solomon Water and is implemented by Plan International Australia.
Technical support is provided by Plan International Pacific Solomon Islands, with Live & Learn serving as the implementing partner.
- Plan International
