New CDF Funded Road Brings Sigh Of Relief To Kwaibaita Communities

The arrival of a new road infrastructure at Lalibaola within the Kwaibaita region of East Malaita brings a sigh of relief to communities after decades of chronic struggle and wishful dreams.

The newly constructed Aufasu-Lalibaola extension road is historic, as it brings not only the much-needed connectivity for communities to the outside world, but anticipated to offer more economic opportunities for the people of this region.

This development fulfils the long-time dream of the people.

The Kwaibaita region includes East Kwaio and East Kwara’ae communities, and are only separated by the Kwaibaita River which is also the political boundary for East Kwaio and East Malaita Constituencies. This boundary spans along the Kwaibaita River from the coast up through the inland communities along the river.

Known as one of the agricultural hubs in the Malaita Eastern Region and for its fertile soil, communities along the Kwaibaita River basin involved heavily in key agricultural activities such as copra, kava, cocoa and livestock production.

For so long road infrastructure remains the biggest challenge for the hard-working people in this region.

Limited access and links to market often discourages rural farmers from engaging in rural agriculture and improving rural livelihoods of people in this region.

With the visionary leadership by the Member of Parliament for East Malaita Constituency (EMC), Honourable Manasseh Maelanga the long-awaited development now brings fulfillment for the communities, paving the way for better economic opportunities and improved market access for farmers.

This road project will also equally a benefit to the people of East Kwaio who are only a few meters on the other side of the Kwaibaita River.

The East Malaita Constituency (EMC) office under the leadership of the Honourable Maelanga is funding the road project through its Constituency Development Funds (CDF) 2023-2024 allocation provided by the national government through the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD).

With decades of road inaccessibility, unabated struggles to access health services, market, education, wharves, and other important services at the urban centres, the communities along the Kwaibaita region can now be assured that the struggles would soon be gone.

“It is the ongoing commitment of East Malaita Constituency Office (EMCO) under the leadership of Hon. Maelanga to support road infrastructure development in East Malaita to improve communities and constituents’ accessibility to basic services,” Constituency Development Officer (CDO), Rockson Gabriel said.

He said, amongst other important priorities, road infrastructure will remain the top priority development projects for EMC.

“Road access plays a critical role by providing ease for the efficient movements of people and goods, as well as providing accessibility to a wide variety of social and economic activities,” Mr Gabriel stressed.

He said East Malaita is one of the constituency’s in the country where most of its people reside inland and accessing road infrastructure and other government services remain a challenge.

“So, our aim is to help the people in the inland communities to have access to the government services and connecting them to the outside world through road infrastructure which is one of our top priorities as aligned to our constituency development plan.

“To make sure people meaningfully participated in the social and economic activities, road access should always remain the top priority.

“Life is tough for our people with the fact that they have to travel the mountainous and dangerous bush paths to access basic services such as health, markets, education and trade. So, this road will make life easier for people in our constituency especially those along the Kwaibaita area,” Mr Gabriel said.

A number of feeder roads connecting communities to socio-economic opportunities were constructed through CDF support.

These feeder roads include;

• Baunakunu- 6 kilometres feeder road (constructed in 2022)

• Fauia- 4 kilometres feeder road (constructed in 2022)

• Naoasi-Taba’a feeder road (estimated 8km, built in 2019)

• Faumamanu-Taba’akwaru estimated 4 kilometres feeder road (Built in 2018)

• Faumamanu-Kereth Market 3 kilometres feeder road (Built in 2014) and

• Aufasu-Lalibaola extension road infrastructure about 6-7km (new)

CDO Gabriel said that work on the road project is progressing well as gravelling and compacting works continues.

Construction works is carried out by Eastern Esteem Construction Company, the constituency’s business arm which engaged in road maintenance and other construction works in the constituency.

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) is supporting the constituency with machineries.

He further explained that according to initial plan, the road extension was supposed to terminate at Lalibaola village however, with support from landowners and the wider Kwaibaita communities, it was further extended to Namoia Community High School (NCHS), providing easy access to the school and few communities further up the Kwaibaita region.

“This road is an answered prayer. This is what we have been waiting and dreaming of for years past. To have proper road infrastructure.

“This is progress and we thank our MP Manasseh Maelanga for his leadership in ensuring such important infrastructure development is eventuated in our constituency to help us rural people access government services at ease,” thrilled constituents expressed.

As of last month, hired transports with cargos and passengers started arriving at Lalibaola.

CDO Gabriel extended his gratitude and thanked all the landowners, community leaders and communities of Kwaibaita for the support so far during the implementation of the project.

CDO Gabriel further highlighted that there are plans in place to also pursue implementation of the new road construction to link East and Central Kwara’ae. The new road will begin from Taba’a feeder in East Kwara’ae highlands linking with the existing Busurata road through Busuoneh and Okwala village in Central Kwara’ae Constituency.

He added that another proposal that is still undergoing negotiation is to connect the Taba’a feeder through Bosuoneh village, Fulisango, Kilusakwalo and to Auki town.

This proposal will see the road running along the mountain ridges and descend down to around Kilusakwalo village, is a shorter route and would only take an hour from East Kwara’ae to reach Auki town than the current Dala-Atori route.

A ceremony to mark the official launching and opening of the new Aufasu-Lalibaola road will be held later in the year once all construction works are completed.

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