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In April 2007, a Magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck the Solomon Islands, leaving 52 people dead and over 7,000 homeless.
On Ranongga, the western most island of the Solomon islands, the earthquake caused a massive landslide uprooting villagers who had little choice but to move and to set up a new village further inland called Keigold.
In July 2011 Arup staff – Jason Nutter from the Singapore Office and Natalie Dumbrell from Sydney – formed part of a team helping locals to build ventilated pit latrines for a village on the island of Ranongga.
Our Ongoing Commitment
The volunteers were inspired by the extraordinary work achieved by Emergency Architects Australia (EAA). EAA taps into a deep pool of talent and expertise to rebuild lives and livelihoods.
Arup has been involved in the ongoing rebuilding of communities through EAA’s disaster relief programs for a number of years. EAA seeks technical skills and expertise to assist communities affected by disaster and Arup supplies the appropriate skills, enthusiasm and commitment to get the job done. Together, they are helping to shape a better world!
Cross Cultural Experiences
For the two Arup volunteers, the experience was invaluable. It was an opportunity to experience a different and remote culture. It was also a challenge that tested their mental fortitude and innovative skills.
The first challenge for our volunteers was accessing this remote community. With two flights, a four hour boat trip and a one hour trek to the top of a steep hill, this was no walk in the park. As Jason aptly describes trekking up a steep and slick mountain trail, tackling among other things, a heavy backpack, mosquitoes, sand flies and shoes filled with seawater: “I guess you could say I was on my way to shaping a better world, one slippery step at a time!”
Volunteers lived with families and enjoyed the local life. They developed a close understanding of the community and its needs. Over a period of two weeks they used local tools (coconut shells for digging) and materials (sand and pebbles) to build the latrines. Entirely reusable, the portable latrines can be picked up – timber structure and concrete slab – and moved to a new site.
Maintaining Basic Necessities
The build tested their strength and resilience. “I gained on the job experience in the delivery of development assistance and realised the value of community involvement and consultation to the success of a project,” comments Natalie.
As our volunteers observed – the people of the Solomon Islands are content with just the basic necessities – food, water, shelter, medical care and sanitation.
“They are blessed with a land that provides for most of their needs, and for us to be able to come in and complement what they already have in such a sustainable way is truly a privilege,” said Jason.
