The New Times, New Targets Project aims to improve sustainable and inclusive access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and facilities within 22 schools, 8 clinics and 60 communities in rural Solomon Islands.
Rural Solomon Islands communities have low levels of access to improved water and sanitation facilities. Alongside poor hygiene practices, this leads to poor health outcomes. Collecting water is traditionally the role of women and girls, but they are often not involved in decision making or management activities related to water. This project seeks improved social inclusion and empowerment in rural areas and contributes to enhancing the evidence base relating to gender equality, social inclusion and WASH. The project focuses on behaviour change through the concept of WASH resilience planning. Improving hygiene and menstrual health is central to the project.
This project is being implemented in the western area of Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands, and aims to improve the health and wellbeing of approximately 15,000 rural Solomon Islanders by improving the quality and accessibility of WASH services in 22 rural schools, 8 clinics and 60 communities.
Timeline: January 2018-December 2022
Main outcomes:
- Government utilising gender and socially inclusive guidelines and tools to lead and monitor WASH improvements
- Approximately 14,575 people in 60 communities, 22 schools and 8 rural clinics have access to safe, inclusive and resilient WASH services
- Agency and voice of women and marginalised people is improved in 60 communities
- Solomon Islands Government adopts project approaches in policy and guidelines and WASH sector implementation is informed by them.
The project is an Australian aid initiative implemented by Plan International Australia in partnership with Live & Learn Environmental Education on behalf of the Australian Government. Other local partners include Live & Learn Solomon Islands, National and Provincial Environmental health Division/Rural WASH Section (Ministry of Health and Medical Services), National and Provincial Education Authority (Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development)
