Our Vision
TOILET & FRESHWATER VISION
The vision for the construction of a public toilet (and later, freshwater storage) came after a 2013 tour
to our village, organised for supporters of the group Medical Sailing Ministries (www.msm.org.au) from the Uniting Church in North Ringwood, Australia.
During the 2013 Supporters Tour, all of our village of Paunangisu was involved in organising and running a “Village Experience Day” where the 30 visitors were introduced to lots of our cultural and other activities – weaving, singing, coconut tree climbing, food, dancing, village life – many things.
Money raised from the day meant we could install solar power in the Presbyterian Church building, plus the purchase a projector for showing words to our hymns in our own original Ngunanese language.
The Village Experience Day showed what we as a village can do if we all work together. It was also the first time in 17 years that a bus has left the main road to come for a visit to our village.
Following the Village Experience Day, a strong bond of affection was felt with our visitors and so it was decided to establish a formal partnership, thereby sowing the seeds of the Paunangisu Village Partnership (PVP) – between the people of Paunangisu and the North Ringwood Uniting Church (Aust).
It might be an initiative of the Presbyterian Church in Paunangisu, but the intention has always been for the partnership to be for the benefit of the whole village community.
So, after the installation of the solar power in 2013, the village PVP Committee proposed the construction of a public toilet. Not only to improve local health and hygiene but to form the basis of possible tourist ventures that might be established in the future.
Planning and fund-raising for the building of the toilet began in 2014. This also included the installation of rain gutters on the Presbyterian church building and the construction of a large water storage tank.
To summarise, the Public Toilet and Freshwater project has been built for the whole village community with the following goals in mind:
- Improve hygiene and health education.
- Capture and storage of rainwater for use by those in need.
- Generate income to cover costs of ongoing maintenance and to fund further village development projects.
- Provide a “stopping point” for tourists and tour companies and in the process, a base from which to develop and expand local tourist and business ventures – creating employment, income and regional development.
The goal is for the Public Toilet to be maintained to the highest level of cleanliness and for it to truly be…