100% Food And Water Insecurity In Parts Of The Pacific

The entire population of Napir Village, population 561, in one of the remotest parts of the Solomon Islands struggles to get access to decent food or drinkable water on a regular basis.

"This is happening in the Pacific region where Kiwis holiday and travel. We can't solve all the world's problems, but we can make a difference in our shared Pacific home. No-one should struggle to get access to food or clean water in this part of the world," says CEO of ChildFund, Josie Pagani.

The Pacific region has some of the highest rates of child stunting in the world. Stunting is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition.

More than 38% of children suffer from stunting in the Pacific, while Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates, at nearly 32% of all children.

This is higher than Asia (31.7), Eastern Africa (34.5) and Middle Africa (31.5 percent).

In recent focus groups, residents of Napir Village highlighted access to nutritious food as a significant challenge.

A group of mothers expressed concern about their ability to provide a healthy and balanced diet for their families due to consistently low yields from local gardens over many years, leading to a heavy reliance on imported foods.

Vegetables and root crops which once thrived, no longer grow well, they reported. Soil quality has deteriorated over the past 10 years, and has become nutrient-deficient, adversely affecting the growth of plants.

ChildFund New Zealand is working with local partners to establish a Garden to Table programme in the local school. This will teach children to create good soil through composting, then grow, harvest and cook local crops, shifting reliance on expensive imported food, and addressing food insecurity.

ChildFund will also replace a broken diesel-powered generator and pump with a new solar powered pump to get clean water to over 18 villages on Santa Cruz Island, including Napir Village, and over 3000 people.

Key statistics

• 99% of households in the Graciosa Bay area, home to over 3000 people, do not have access to clean safe drinking water
• 100% of households in Napir Village do not have access to clean safe drinking water
• 100% of households in Napir Village are food insecure
• Majority of households rely on water from unprotected springs and rainwater collection
• For 47% of households it takes over 2 hours a day to collect water

"Nations can't grow if their people can't. The Pacific's future depends on reliable access to clean water and decent food so that every child, no matter how remote their home can realise their full potential," says Josie Pagani.

Donate to the children of Solomons Islands here: https://campaigns.childfund.org.nz/appeal

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