Fiji Hub Achievement Report

March 2016
Objective: WASH Awareness

Disaster Response and WASH Promotion

GVI Fiji immediate Response post-Tropical Cyclone Winston in Dawasamu District
Greater access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene after a disaster has hit, can
lessen the impact of diarrhea outbreaks, and reduce the burden of morbidity and
mortality associated with faecal-oral infections which often increase in incidence
following a natural or man-made disaster. In some emergencies and post-emergency
situations, diarrhea can be responsible for the majority of deaths. Realising the
importance of providing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene during this
time, and ensuring spread of disease is minimal by encouraging hygiene promotion
and sanitation facilities that are both working and sanitary is essential. Furthermore
these activities reinforce the need to practice good Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
(WASH) access both during, and post-emergency, thus contributing to long-term
development.

Since the devastating effects of cyclone Winston, GVI Fiji have interacted with
over 639 people (including nearly all the children) in the Dawasamu District, relying
on the previous relationships built up within the community to effectively assist postdisaster and promote the effective provision of WASH facilities and awareness

Improving access to safe WASH facilities

Following TC Winston, GVI Fiji have worked on, and are continuing to assist with:

Resupplying village and settlements with basic hygiene necessities, and

regularly checking in with each villages to assess requirements. Overall GVI
have supplied 193 soap bars, 65 packs of mosquito coils, 60 kerosene lamps
with fuel, 19 bottles of bleach
Carried out repairs to 8 cyclone-damaged rainwater harvesting systems, thus
increasing access to safe drinking water.
Inspected the functionality of toilets, ensuring there is 1 toilet to 50 people (the
WHO maximum ratio in emergencies) - most of the district had enough
functioning toilets but following the inspections GVI Fiji purchased the
materials to repair two affected flush toilets.
Installed 4 Hand washing stations (i.e., Happy Taps) in an effort to increase
access to safe hand-washing facilities in areas without working taps, mainly
near the kitchen or next to toilets. As well as ensuring safe water is in
sufficient quantity for regular hand washing to be achieved, GVI has ensured
the availability of soap, using a soap on a rope and the delivery of soap to all
households in the District.
Supplied 45 UNICEF Emergency WASH posters in Fijian to homes
throughout district.
The promotion of effective WASH practices

Following TC Winston GVI Fiji have promoted safe WASH practices though:

Carrying out hygiene promotion strategies to encourage hand washing with

soap and other hygienic behavior practices.
Developed a WASH presentation that is delivered to children of all ages, small
adult groups and during house-to-house visits. These presentations proved to
be successful, and already women are asking for advice regarding health and
hygiene.
Engaged children in a hand washing song, and playing hand games with
glitter to depict how germs spread.
Provided adults with the WASH presentation and showed a video to
highlighting the way cholera is spread; stressing the likelihood of disease
transmission after a disaster and encouraging hand washing with soap, listing
all the appropriate times.
Discussed water safety, the need for boiling and the ease of using the SODIS
method (Solar Disinfection - clear water bottles filled with water shaken with
air bubbles and placed on tin roofing to absorb the suns UV rays) as an
effective way method to purify water.
Assisted and encouraged water supply maintenance and cleaning, with rain
water harvesting tanks being checked for any open piping and covered with
mesh to stop the tank from any foreign objects falling in from the outside.

Following the aftermath of Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, GVI will continue to
check into each village in the Dawasamu District, inquiring about the health of the
village and their sanitary needs. GVI understand the need to address sanitation and
hygiene within each village and settlement, and believe the communities have been
working hard to stop the spread of disease while they go through this difficult time.
For more information on GVIs projects in Fiji please visit www.gvi.co.uk
For more information on our global impact visit www.gviworld.com
To make a donation to our community projects in Fiji please visit www.gvi.org for more
details.