CAUSE Weekly Wrap-Up: Keeping you informed, one week at a time.

Issue 159 (Digital)11 September – 15 September 2023
The weekly wrap-up newsletter is a way to connect and update staff and project stakeholders about the progress of projects implemented by CAUSE in different communities. It includes information about the projects in Honiara, Guadalcanal (areas outside of town boundary), Auki, Gizo, Noro, and Munda. CAUSE is supported by the Australian Government and the World Bank.

The last two remaining sub-projects in Auki have been progressing consistently in the past two weeks. The photo below shows the footpath construction at the Molou community, leading to Alota’a school. The Molou community footpath aims to construct a 250-meter-long by 1.2-meter-wide climate-resilient pedestrian footpath.

The photo below shows the progress of the purlins, which have been installed 100%, for the Ambu Multi-purpose Hall project. Roofing installation will commence early next week, along with the concreting of the building floor slab.

In Gizo, efforts to improve waste collection and cleaning projects show a commitment to a cleaner and healthier environment. These initiatives aim to enhance public health and overall quality of life. It is important to continue these efforts for a better and more attractive city for all.

ISDT Noro Batch 51 is In progress for the next WCC for the month of November.

The continuous cleaning of Noro Town is progressing well. Noro town looks better as grasses, tins/ bottles, and assorted plastics along the road are collected every day.

The ongoing restoration works of unsealed segments of the Jacky Heights climate resilient spot improvement contract in Panatina will greatly improve community traveling along this 500-meter road. The restoration efforts aim to create a more resilient and easily accessible route for residents in the area. This project will contribute to easing transportation and enhancing the overall quality of life for the community.

Green Valley Sharma School Road, located in Vura Ward, has been restored, and routine maintenance work will continue until April 2024.

The CAUSE Project continues to be highly inclusive, has yielded excellent results, particularly in helping to close the gender gap between men and women engaged in training and productive employment, and remains on track to meet its Project Development Objective, with less than 10 months remaining until closing. As of June 30, 2023, the Project has disbursed about 99% of its IDA financing envelope (D292-SB) and $4.26 million (58%) of the PPIUF Grant (TFB6580).

In the same period, the Project has: (i) engaged 7,499 beneficiaries (83.55 percent of the 8,400 target), of which 50.53 percent were women and 49.93 percent were youth; (ii) generated 333,000 person-days of work (84.31 percent of the intended end-line target of 370,000), with each participant working an average of 44.35 days (about 1 and a half months) or receiving SBD3,081.72 on average in wages (US$385.22); (iii) transferred a total of SBD23.20 million (approximately US$2.88 million) in wages; and (iv) provided 17,809 households (99 percent of the target 18,000) with improved access to infrastructure, services, or markets. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that 57.33 percent (of the 50 percent target) of the beneficiaries were reported to be from poor communities ranked as the “highest priority” in the vulnerability index.

Furthermore, the levels of women’s leadership in the Project remain high, with more than half (54 percent) of Team Leaders being women, and thus receiving increased hours and levels of responsibility and reporting on Project sites. This includes an exceptional 60 percent of Waste Collection team leaders being women and 19 percent of Community Access Infrastructure Project Team Leaders being women. It is expected to meet or exceed all targets except for new bank accounts opened or reactivated due to the inability of the banking service provider to respond in a timely manner to the high demand.

INSPIRING STORIES

Beryl Sosota, a stay-at-home mother of four teenagers, struggled to support her children’s education. She used to sell cooked food at the market and her husband provided OBM services and repair in Gizo. However, their income was not enough to cover their family’s expenses.

In November 2021, Beryl attended a seven-day ISDT training at Gizo PIU. She learned how to write a CV, an application letter and how to present herself during an interview. She was grateful for this training, as she was able to apply for a job as an office cleaner at the Gizo NPF branch.

Beryl was hired for the job and worked there for six months. She is pleased that NPF also helps pay her children’s school fees. This is a blessing for her family.

Ghorekera Tolipio, a participant from batch 34, is a SINU graduate from the class of 2021, actively seeking job opportunities. One of his aspirations was to join the Labour Mobility Scheme for seasonal employment, but he faced obstacles.

However, after enrolling in the ISDT training on September 19, 2022, Ghorekera utilized the certificate he obtained along with the attached reference to apply for jobs. Through his determination, he successfully secured a position. Additionally, he used his earnings from project work to cover the expenses for his passport. Ghorekera expressed his gratitude to the CAUSE project for their assistance in making his dreams come true.

During our recent encounter with him two weeks ago, he briefly visited for a vacation before returning to Australia. Ghorekera shared that the valuable lessons he acquired during the ISDT training played a significant role in his promotion to the position of works supervisor at the farm where he is currently employed. He is now in Australia, supporting his family financially and working towards establishing his own depot business, specializing in selling and expanding his inventory of drums.

Testimonials