A total of 182 community members in Honiara continue to benefit from the Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement II (CAUSE II) Project Waste Cleaning and Collection initiative since its launch early this year.
The cleaning activity spans across 13 key road segments from Alligator Creek in the east to Poha in the west.
The community groups have collectively contributed 4,752 labour days. About 78% of participants were women, and 43% were youth, showing CAUSE II’s focus on gender and youth inclusion. 69% came from Honiara’s highly vulnerable communities.
By mobilising these local community-based labour groups for roadside waste cleaning services, the project creates short-term employment and a cleaner and more resilient Honiara.
“The initiative is a powerful demonstration of how community-based urban management can transform lives and environments.”
CAUSE II is a Government of Solomon Islands initiative led by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) and Honiara City Council (HCC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey, and the Provincial Governments of Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Western Province.
The project is supported by the World Bank and the Government of Australia through the Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands Umbrella Facility Multi-Donor Trust Fund (PPIUF).
Two contractors are also continuing their road drainage maintenance and clean-up operations along the Honiara Main Highway.
Nitter Civil Construction is responsible for the stretch from Henderson Court to the Ranadi Roundabout, while Sinbad Construction is managing activities from the Ranadi Roundabout to the Honiara City Council junction.
These local teams can be seen actively working along the drainage ditches with open tipper trucks and light machinery, following their maintenance schedule.
MID acknowledges the ongoing challenges in maintaining the city’s drainage system, which have been exacerbated by frequent heavy rain and irresponsible waste disposal by some residents and road users.
– MID
