Women and Youth at the Centre of CAUSE II Community Works in Auki

AUKI, Malaita Province — Women and young people are playing a significant role in community-based urban improvement activities being delivered through the Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement II (CAUSE II) Project in Auki, with women accounting for 68.3% and youth 60.5% of workers engaged through completed Waste Cleaning and Collection (WCC) contracts.

A total of 99 WCC contracts have been completed across nine segments covering Auki town and its peri-urban areas, with activities operating monthly since May 2025. Five workers with disabilities were also recorded across the period, highlighting the inclusive nature of the community-based employment opportunities created through the programme.

The WCC activities are being implemented under CAUSE II Component 2 – Safe and Inclusive Communities, which supports waste cleaning and collection and other community-level initiatives aimed at improving urban services while creating employment opportunities for local communities.

Eight community groups are currently engaged in street cleaning activities in Auki. Recent work has included cleaning along the main road stretch from Aemela to Mage and uphill to Bariki Ocean View.

The nine WCC segments covered St. Paul Road, Kunu Junction, Ambu Junction, Auki Lodge-Panki, Sikitae, Agriculture Feeder Road, Kwainamoro Road, Kilu’ufi Road, Kunu-Ozy Lake and CBD Feeder Roads. The standard group size was seven workers per segment.

The Auki Project Implementation Unit (PIU) continues to work closely with the Auki Town Council on the management and disposal of waste collected through the street cleaning activities. A suitable site for disposal of the collected waste is yet to be finalized.

New Footpath to Improve Access at Bitakaula School

Alongside the community cleaning activities, CAUSE II is also investing in pedestrian infrastructure in Auki, with construction of a 200-metre footpath at Bitakaula School underway and expected to be completed by mid-September 2026.

The footpath is designed to provide safer and more accessible movement for students and community members, particularly in an area where pedestrians face challenges accessing the school and other important community facilities.

Following completion of the footpath, solar-powered lighting will also be installed along the pathway to further improve safety and accessibility for students and the surrounding community.

The investment forms part of CAUSE II Component 2, which supports climate-resilient community infrastructure, including pedestrian facilities such as footpaths and Jacob’s ladders, solar-powered lighting, public-space improvements, waste cleaning and other community-level services.

The ongoing activities in Auki demonstrate CAUSE II’s broader approach of combining improvements to urban services and community infrastructure with locally delivered employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people.

CAUSE II is a Government of Solomon Islands initiative implemented through the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in collaboration with provincial and local government partners, with support from the World Bank and the Government of Australia.

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