Clean water key to COVID-19 resilience in Samoa

Above: Vitolia and Misi received a 3,000L water tank and a water harvesting system to improve their water security. Photo: Caritas Australia

While Samoa has fortunately only reported a few cases of COVID-19 throughout the global pandemic, and only among overseas arrivals returning home, community vulnerability in the remote Pacific island country is high.

In support of Samoa’s preparations to protect communities against COVID-19, the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) initiated a COVID-19 activation, which was implemented by Australia’s Church Agency Network - Disaster Operations (CAN DO) with the assistance of Caritas Samoa and the Adventist Disaster Relief Agency (ADRA) Samoa. 

Together, these organisations delivered COVID-19 awareness and prevention messages; supported food and water security through improved infrastructure and supplies such as seedlings; boosted mental health service provision; and promoted good hygiene practices. These activities reached approximately 947 Samoan families.

Water scarcity was identified as key challenge to address to improve community resilience to the pandemic.

Caritas Samoa distributed water tanks to 24 families around the country, alongside hygiene promotion activities and the installation of water harvesting systems.

Vitolia and her family received a 3,000L water tank and a water harvesting system through the response. Before participating in the program, Vitolia and her husband, Misi, had been forced to make the devastating decision to send their children to live with their grandparents, due to water scarcity and poor living conditions.

The couple only had access to a single water pipe, which was shared between six people and had an unreliable flow of water, meaning they had to travel considerable distances to collect water.

Now, their new water tank and harvesting system provides them with enough water to meet their basic needs and maintain a more hygienic environment at home.

“Since we have water here now, maybe I can bring my children back home and be less worried about them getting sick,” Vitolia says.

Above: Joy and her three children in front of a water tank installed through the AHP Samoa COVID-19 response that will help them access clean water. Photo: Caritas Australia

The tank has also provided them with additional water for cooking, which means the family may look into establishing a small cooking business selling foods like panikeke to increase their income.

In the midst of Samoa’s measles epidemic in 2019, Caritas Samoa met Ake and Mua, an elderly couple who were the sole caregivers of their two school-aged grandchildren; one of which has a disability. The family was living well below the poverty line and were identified as one of the most vulnerable families in their community.

Before their involvement with the AHP COVID-19 response, their only source of water was a rusty pipe with a highly unreliable water supply that they shared with four other families. This left them with very little water to meet their basic needs and in highly unsanitary living conditions, making them more susceptible to disease.

Today, the now widowed Ake has a 3,000L water tank with a stand-alone water harvesting system, meeting all the family’s water needs.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I cannot express my gratitude. What you have done will help me keep my grandchildren safe,” Ake said.

“We will now have enough water to drink when we’re thirsty and to clean, wash, and bathe. Thank you very much.” 

The year-long activation in Samoa is benefitting hundreds of families to overcome the challenges of water scarcity and poor local infrastructure in order to improve their living conditions and to protect themselves against COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.