A Brighter Path to School

"Before, our children had to walk through mud to reach their classrooms. Now they walk happily along the footpath straight to school."
For Francis, those words capture a journey of determination, community effort and positive change.
As Group Leader of the local CAUSE II work team from the LDA community, Francis has seen how practical improvements can make a lasting difference in the lives of children, families and the wider community around Poha Christian Academy.
Established by the community in 2018, Poha Christian Academy was created to provide local children with a school closer to home. Starting with just two classrooms, the school has continued to grow over the years through the dedication of the community and support from various partners.
While the CAUSE II Project was not involved in the establishment or construction of the school itself, it has supported the community by creating employment opportunities and delivering infrastructure improvements that make access to the school safer and more convenient.
For Francis and his team, that journey has unfolded through a series of community-based activities.
Their first engagement under the CAUSE II Project was the construction of the footpath leading to Poha Christian Academy. They later continued their involvement through waste collection and street cleaning activities, helping maintain cleaner and safer surroundings for the community. Now, the same team has returned to complete the installation of solar LED streetlights along the pathway they helped build.
"We first completed the footpath, and now we are starting this solar light project," Francis said. "I thank the CAUSE II Project very much for its assistance towards these important things that are now happening in our lives today."
That journey has now reached another important milestone.
The installation of five solar LED streetlight systems along the footpath at Poha Christian Academy has been successfully completed, providing safer movement for students, teachers and community members after dark.
Located west of Honiara, approximately 400 metres inland from Poha Bridge, the project was delivered under Component 2 of the CAUSE II Project, which supports the installation of sustainable solar lighting along footpaths and Jacob's ladders constructed through the project.
The solar lighting installation was completed within just 10 days by a dedicated team of seven local workers—including members of the same community group that successfully constructed the school footpath last year.
For Francis, seeing the pathway transformed has been a source of pride.
"When we started this school, our children would walk through mud before reaching their classrooms," he said. "Since having this footpath, it has become one of the most important help that CAUSE II has given us. Now they walk happily to school from their homes straight into their classrooms."
With the addition of solar lighting, that safer journey now continues beyond daylight hours, allowing students, parents, teachers and residents to move through the area with greater confidence in the evenings.
For the LDA community, the lights represent more than a new infrastructure asset. They reflect a partnership built over time—one that has provided local employment, strengthened community capacity and supported people to contribute directly to improvements in their own neighbourhood.
"Because without CAUSE II Project, we would never have these developments that we have now," Francis said. "We would never have had the footpath and now the solar lights that we see today."
The completion of the Poha Christian Academy Solar LED Street Lighting Project highlights the impact of combining community leadership with targeted support. From improving access to education facilities to creating opportunities for local workers, the project demonstrates how small investments can deliver meaningful change in everyday life.
As evening falls over Poha, the pathway to the school no longer disappears into darkness. Instead, it shines as a symbol of what communities can achieve when they are supported to lead their own development.
The CAUSE II Project is implemented by the Government of Solomon Islands with support from the World Bank and the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), creating employment opportunities and supporting safer, more connected and resilient communities across Solomon Islands.
 

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