On the east coast of one of Vanuatu’s driest islands – the island of Ambae – two water tanks stand on a hillside.

The tanks themselves were provided by ABM AID’s partner, ACOM Vanuatu, but it was local people who did the rest. Such is the need for water in the village of Lavondo-Kairue that locals bought and installed the pipes and water pump that connect the tanks to a well several hundred metres away, and to eight communal taps spread across the village, including to the local primary school.

The impact on people’s lives – especially women – has been profound.

“We no longer have to walk down to the well to do laundry,” says local mother Rita. “We can do it at home.”

Another local woman, Kenneth, told of the convenience of a tap near her home: “I don’t need to carry buckets of water up from the well every time I cook. The nearby tap makes it much easier.”

Keithson Ture Garae, the government’s Area Administrator, says he worked closely with local Anglican priest Fr Andrew Tari to mobilise the community contribution to the project. Together, they organised local people to fund the purchase and installation of the water pipes, a pump and 8 standpipes with taps.

The water tanks were originally brought to Lavonda-Kairue in 2023, to serve an Anglican Synod meeting, but are now connected to standpipes that serve all 54 households in the village.

The two water tanks are part of the Anglican Church of Melanesia’s WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) program, and we acknowledge the contribution of ABM AID supporters and of local Vanuatu people.

ACOM Vanuatu’s WASH program receives support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).