Five villages get water connection through Wash project

KULIMBU village in Western Highlands did not have direct access to clean water, a reality Jolly Kulimbua was determined to change.
According to a statement from the Australian High Commission, Kulimbua applied for an Australia Awards PNG alumni grant to fund a water and sanitation for health (Wash) project in November 2020 for Kulimbu village.
This resulted in the installation of three 9,000-litre water tanks, 14 taps and wash basins.
The Wash project addressed critical issues within the community, including solving water scarcity, supplying clean water and reducing the risk of waterborne and communicable diseases.
Through awareness efforts, the locals also learnt about the risks of poor hygiene and how to avoid these through healthy hygiene practices.
An elder explained their changed perspective: “We never washed our hands regularly before because the water was so far away, so we cleaned them with our clothes.
“Jolly’s training made us realise that water is life.”
Completed last March, the project now supplies water to five villages.