Holopeka Water Project - Tonga

Location
Holopeka, island of Lifuka, island group of Ha'apai, Kingdom of Tonga

Community Description
The village of Holopeka consists of the government primary school, GPS Koulo, a Free Weslyan Church, a Church of Tonga, a Free Church of Tonga, and a Mormon Church and adjacent Latter Day Saints Middle School, and is home to 253 inhabitants who live in twenty-six household areas with their small livestock, primarily pigs, chickens, and goats, and the surrounding bush land, which is used for sustenance farming and larger livestock (horses and cattle) grazing area.

Project Description
This project is to build a new cement stand to hold the water tank that supplies water to the residents of Holopeka.

Project funds will be used to purchase cement to construct the stand and a new platform for the water tank, and to pay for shipment of the materials to Ha'apai.

Presently, running water is supplied to the village of Holopeka via a pump and generator that pumps water up to a large holding tank, which sit atop a 6 meter metal-frame stand. The water then flows under pressure from the tank, and is distributed throughout the community by a piping system.

Project Impact
The project will ensure safe water for 253 inhabitants who reside in 26 households.

Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Alicia Green

Comments
This is a critical project, as the water to the village is in imminent danger of being cut off, which would lead to severe sanitation and health issues.

The project arose from the community, and there is tremendous support from its members, both for the labor and the materials for construction.

Time is of the essence, and our ability to enable this project demonstrates the validity of the Appropriate Projects model.

Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00

Donations Collected to Date
$500.00

Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 This project has been fully funded. However, we encourage you to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Alicia Green of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Alicia and/or those of her counterpart PCVs in Tonga.

This project has been completed. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.

Conclusion of Holopeka Water Project – Tonga

To read about the start of this project CLICK HERE.

The Holopeka Water Project was successfully completed, with results beyond all expectations. Despite difficulties encountered along the way, and the temporary evacuation of the project leader, the project was concluded by the community with great results.

After the project was underway, Peace Corps Volunteer Alicia Green had to be evacuated for medical reasons, first to Nuku’alofa, the capitol of Tonga, and then to Suva, the capitol of Fiji. It is the mark of a good administrator that the project was left with clear directions, in capable hands, for the work to proceed in her absence.

The original plans called for the purchase and shipment of cement and materials to construct a stand and a new platform for the water tank. The members of the community first proceeded to repair the damaged tank. They repaired the breaks in the frame, built a new support frame inside the old one, painted the frames with strong paint to prevent corrosion, built a new platform for the water tank, installed a new stop valve, and reinforced the base of the frame with cement.

The modification of plans resulted in a savings, which they were able to use to repair another small water tower in the village to supplement the water supply. This water in this second water source is far less brackish, and will not cause as much rust build-up and corrosion. The concrete frame was reinforced and the platform was repaired. Additionally the fence was fixed to keep pigs out of the yard and to prevent them from digging up the pipes.

Alicia writes:

Thank you so much for all your help. This project has really been wonderful to work with the community of Holopeka on, and it’s been really exciting watching everyone come together to contribute labor, materials, ideas, and, of course, food!

Getting this accomplished has been wonderful for the village, and we’re starting to look into digging a new well and setting up another piped supply of water to the homes, specifically for washing/bathing. We are so grateful to Appropriate Projects for your aid and flexibility, and we all hope to work with you again in the future.

‘Ofa lahi atu,
Alicia Green

The project has to be evaluated as a complete success, not only for the immediate result of safe water for the community, but also for the capacity-building experience it created for the community members who participated.