The final-draft versions of the ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INSTRUMENTS FOR THE CAUSE-II PROJECT (P181295), have been prepared for the purposes of the proposed World Bank – IDA and PPIUF Supported Community Access & Urban Services Enhancement II (CAUSE-II) Project in the Solomon Islands. Copies are currently available for public review at the office of the CAUSE PMU (former Aspen Medical Clinic), Mendana Ave., Tandai Highway, Honiara. Electronic copies of the documents may also be downloaded from the following link:
CAUSE II Project is currently under preparation and is designed as a follow-on project to CAUSE. CAUSE II, implemented by the Solomon Islands Government, is supported by the World Bank and Australia through the PNG and Pacific Islands Umbrella Facility Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
In the event that any person is interested in these documents, he/she should contact any of the following:
Issue 153 (Digital) 21 July - 04 Auguest 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 Australian Head of Mission, His Excellency Rod Hilton, High Commissioner for the Solomon Islands, visited CAUSE projects in Gizo town on Tuesday, 1st July 2023. The CAUSE Gizo Provincial Implementation Unit (PIU), headed by Edwin Ghasapio, has to date completed a total of 53 community access infrastructure sub-projects and has helped the Gizo Town Council in its daily clean-up drive around the township since its inception. CAUSE is partly funded by the Australian Government through the Papua New Guinea Pacific Island Umbrella Facility (PPIUF) Multi-donor Trust Fund.
The photo shows the PIU team leader touring the High Commissioner to one of those three high-impact jetty sub-projects constructed in front of the Gizo Public Market (another high-impact investment from the Australian Government done via another project facility). The photo on the right shows the High Commissioner talking to Rendy Solomon, Managing Director for local NGO Plasticwise. CAUSE has partnered with Plasticwise and has done a successful pilot on plastic and aluminum waste collection and recycling in the recent past. The CAUSE Project has been working closely with the Western Provincial Government and the Gizo Town Council and has since been very instrumental in helping the Project team in achieving the successful delivery of its project objectives.
CAUSE Literacy Program– Meeting the needs of community members who have missed out on formal education.
CAUSE Project in partnership with the Literacy Association of Solomon Islands (LASI) and with funding from the Australian Government has targeted to train 660 persons by the end of August 2023. The training, conducted by LASI, is in Solomon Pijin and runs for 12 to 13 weeks covering Pijin Primer Book 1 for Literacy and Numeracy for the first six weeks and Book 2 for another 6 or 7 weeks.
On Thursday 3rd August, 51 trainees successfully completed a 14-week literacy training at Ferakusia community in East Honiara for Level 1 and 2 literacy and numeracy courses. They were part of a cohort of 70 community members that enrolled and divided into 2 classes.
Shown here is Stephen Elden receiving his certificate. Stephen works as a security guard and assists in his local church. His heart’s desire was to be able to read and write and so was so elated when the literacy training was happening in his community. In his testimony at the graduation, Stephen expressed his happiness in being able to recognize and read words whilst in town and at work, and now he can write his own name and other names too, something he was not able to do before. Most importantly, he can now accomplish and write basic entries on his agency’s security log book.
The work on truss installation for the Ambu Multi-purpose Hall in Ambu Community in Auki Ward has now taken place. Photos show the first prefabricated truss being hoisted and secured into place by community workers. It is expected that the remaining trusses will be installed by next week. This project is located inside the Sinasu school compound, which is in close proximity to 5 communities expected to benefit from this project.
Foundation work on the White River market building has been completed and the site is now being prepared for slab installation. Intermittent heavy rains have continually affected the pace of the works, preventing construction team from achieving the required degree of compaction before the floor slab temperature reinforcement is installed. Backfilling works are almost true to desired elevation. The photo shows workers doing the final elevation corrections and to complete the final levelling and compaction work early next week.
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.
Gizo Town’s Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement Project (Gizo PIU) has truly exceeded all expectations, kindling a magnificent metamorphosis that has uplifted the lives of every resident. The remarkable accomplishments in fortifying infrastructure, enriching urban services, enhancing community facilities, nurturing economic growth, and fostering environmental sustainability have laid a rock-solid groundwork for an inclusive and flourishing urban center. The unwavering dedication and collaborative spirit of all stakeholders have been irreplaceable in propelling this project toward resounding triumph. As we move forward, it is absolutely vital to maintain this extraordinary momentum and build upon these stellar achievements, ensuring everlasting prosperity and well-being for the beloved community of Gizo Town. -Penny-
Sixty-eight unsealed tertiary roads with a total length of 28 km in Honiara and outside the town boundary will be restored and routinely maintained for 12 months in the coming weeks. Three steep sections of unsealed roads in Tanuli, Kukum, Mt Austine, GP, and April Ridge, Panatina will be sealed with structural concrete or cement with a combined length of 690 meters will ease bottlenecks servicing 5.20 km of roads. This is possible through the partnership of the Solomon Islands Government and the Australian Government through the CAUSE Project.
To mark the beginning of the new development, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development Mr. Stephen Maesiola signed ten contracts on 7 March 2022 with the contractors.
The four contractors are AP and S Plant Hire and Construction, Capitol Construction PTY Ltd, Hi-Tech Engineering, and Jed Enterprise Ltd.
Fifteen private contractors signified their interest for the ten contracts; ten dropped their proposals on 23 February 2022, with one bidder coming late and was not included in the final evaluation.
The ten tendered contracts received fifty-eight bids from the ten contractors buying different contract packages. After reading the proposals with the representative present, CAUSE BEC started the tedious individual bids review and evaluation to arrive at the lowest calculated, responsive, and complying bidder per contract.
The resulting evaluation team trims down the ten contractors to four. The four companies will begin road rehabilitation in various tertiary roads of Honiara as of next week.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary Maesiola warned the contractors to perform their job diligently with standard as he won’t tolerate terminating their contracts should they fail. The signing of the contract’s ceremony took place this afternoon at the CAUSE Project office and was witnessed by the Director of MID Mike Qaqara and the CAUSE project team.
Funding for road rehabilitation works comes under Australia’s contribution to the CAUSE project which is financed by an IDA Grant and PNG and Pacific Islands Umbrella Facility Grant, administered by the World Bank.
The CAUSE Project wishes to notify contractors planning to submit bids for the ten (10) various roads maintenance contracts published last 25 January 2022 on “The Island Sun”, a change of pre-bidding and bidding dates as follows;
Activity
From Orig Date Published
To New Date
Pre-bidding Conference
02 Feb 2022; 2:00 PM
16 Feb 2022; 2:00 PM
Bid Submission
09 Feb 2022; 3:00 PM
23 Feb 2022; 2:00 PM
A complete set of Request for Quotation (RFQ) documents in English will be provided to interested eligible bidders upon the submission of a written application to the address below.
The CAUSE Project will update any changes on the above dates at our official project website at WWW.CAUSESI.NET and social media page (www.facebook.com/causeprojecthoniara).
The address referred to above is:
Community Access & Urban Services Enhancement Project (CAUSE) PMU Office
Former Aspen Medical Clinic, Tandai highway
(Beside Melanesia Pacific Haus & IBS Monarch Hotel)
The final version of the Addendum to the Environmental and Social Management Guidelines (ESMG), version dated 20 July 2021, has been prepared for the purposes of the proposed World Bank-IDA supported Community Access & Urban Services Enhancement (CAUSE) Project – Additional Financing (P176094) in the Solomon Islands. Copy of the Addendum is currently available for public inspection at the office of the Community Access & Urban Services Enhancement (CAUSE) Project, Tandai Highway, Honiara. An electronic copy of the document may also be downloaded from the following links:
Name of Document
Download Link
Scan QR Code to Download
Final version of the Addendum to the Environmental and Social Management Guidelines (ESMG), version dated 20 July 2021
CAUSE is being implemented jointly by the Honiara City Council (HCC) and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID). CAUSE Project implementation is currently ongoing. In the event that any person is interested in this document, he/she may also write or contact the CAUSE management team involved in project implementation at the following email address and landline: contact-us@causesi.net or call (+677) 21173 loc 214.
The draft addendum to the Environmental and Social Management Guidelines (ESMG), version dated 6 April 2021, has been prepared for the purposes of the proposed World Bank Additional Financing – IDA, DFAT and MFAT Supported Community Access & Urban Services Enhancement (CAUSE) Project in the Solomon Islands. Copies of the 2017 ESMG and the draft Addendum to ESMG are currently available for public inspection at the CAUSE Project Management Unit Office at Tandai Highway, Honiara (beside Melanesia Pacific Haus). Electronic copies of the documents may also be downloaded from the following links:
Name of Document
URL Link for Download
Environmental and Social Management Guidelines (ESMG) dated December 2017
CAUSE Project is being implemented jointly by the Honiara City Council (HCC) and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID).
In the event that any person is interested in these documents, he/she may also write or contact the CAUSE management team involved in the implementation of CAUSE Project at the following email address and landline: contact-us@causesi.net, (+677)21173 loc 214.
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and the greatest challenge we have ever faced. Since its emergence in Asia late last year, the virus has spread to every continent.
The pandemic is much more than a health crisis, it’s also an unprecedent socio-economic crisis. Stressing every one of the countries it touches, it has the potential to create devastating social, economic and political effects that will leave deep and longstanding scars
As we Solomon Islands are preparing ourselves ahead of COVID 19 entrance we need to know the basic knowledge and simple applications to deal with various people whom we associated with.
Yesterday the COVID 19 team of the ministry of health and medical services conducted an awareness training for CAUSE Project officers both in Auki, Noro, Gizo and Honiara. The awareness provided a clear understanding of COVID 19 for CAUSE Project officers as they deal with many people every day where our projects are.
As part of awareness training, CAUSE Project will use the information provided by the ministry and tailor it for CAUSE infrastructure service delivery training.
Samuel Belamide on behalf of CAUSE Project thanked the staff of ministry of health for coming out and educated CAUSE officers on COVID 19 pademic.
Belamide said the information is vital and will be use by CAUSE officers to disseminate to the very people they engage with, daily on CAUSE Projects.
Beginning July 2020, CAUSE Project will take the responsibility of cleaning up the underpass next to the central market.
The cleaning will occur every evening after the closing of the underpass. Cleaning will be done everyday Monday to Friday except for weekends. There will also be scrubbing off the walls twice a month.
CAUSE contracted groups who usually do the street cleaning around the city each evening will be the ones to do the cleaning. The underpass will be close every evening and re-open in the morning on the next day.
CAUSE Project on-behalf of the Honiara City Council calls upon every good citizen of Honiara city to keep the underpass clean at all times and to show respect towards our infrastructures.
CAUSE Project is implemented by Honiara City Council and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in partnership with the provincial governments of Guadalcanal, Malaita and Western Provinces and funded by World Bank.
Residents of Gizo were smiling to see their roads and drainage are cleaned, thanks to the various community groups who were very active in waking up early in the morning to do the cleaning up services. Community Liaison Officer Mr. Penny Siliako said community groups are cooperating well in ensuring their allocated areas are cleaned at all times.
