Siwai Community Thanks CAUSE II for New Footpath

RESIDENTS of Siwai Community in Auki, Malaita Province, have expressed their gratitude to the Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement II (CAUSE II) Project following the completion of a new community footpath.

Located on low-lying swampy land near Lilisiana, Siwai is highly vulnerable to flooding and rising sea levels. For many years, residents relied on a narrow coral-stone pathway that became difficult and unsafe to use, particularly during wet weather and high tides.

That has now changed with the completion of a 170-meter paved footpath, providing safer and more reliable access for one of Auki’s vulnerable communities.

Community leader and Bethany Church Pastor, Joseph Tiripeni, expressed his joy in seeing children, women, and elderly residents using the new footpath with ease.

“Access is now much easier, safer, and more convenient for everyone, especially our women vendors and churchgoers. This is the kind of development we have been waiting for over a long time. Today, we are happy that through the CAUSE II Project, we now have a footpath that will benefit all members of our community,” Pastor Tiripeni said.

Women from the Siwai Community also shared similar sentiments, describing the footpath as a major improvement to their daily lives.

“This footpath will help us walk safely during the day and at night and carry our goods without struggling through mud and coral as we did before. We are very happy with this development, and we are grateful to the CAUSE II Project for helping us achieve something that will benefit not only us today, but also future generations,” a community member speaking on behalf of the women said.

In appreciation of the completed project, the community hosted a celebratory lunch for workers and all those involved in delivering the footpath.

The CAUSE II Project is implemented by the Solomon Islands Government with support from the World Bank and the Australian Government through the PNG and Pacific Islands Umbrella Facility Multi-Donor Trust Fund.

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