Access to basic services is a key component of adequate housing. At Habitat for Humanity Fiji, our work goes beyond homes. We also support schools to strengthen essential services, particularly access to safe and reliable water.

Tau Primary School serves 150 students and is supported by eight teachers, seven of whom reside on-site in staff quarters. Our assessment identified critical gaps in the school’s water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, prompting the implementation of a tailored solution to address these specific needs.

This included increasing the school’s water storage capacity through the installation of five new rainwater harvesting tanks and expanding storage from 10,000 litres to 55,000 litres. New taps were installed with handwashing basins to improve access to safe water and promote proper hygiene practices among students and staff.

The Head of School at the time, Mr. Hemant Kumar, noted that prior to Habitat’s intervention, the limited number of water taps made it difficult to manage students safely, often resulting in crowding and safety concerns.

We also installed a solar-powered pump for the school’s borehole system, significantly reducing electricity costs while ensuring a reliable water supply during power outages—particularly during disasters.

Reflecting on the impact of the project, Tau Primary School caretaker Mr. Navitalai Bakewa shared that the school previously paid almost $800 in electricity bills each month but now benefits from free and consistent access to water as the tanks are regularly replenished through the borehole.

To support long-term sustainability, hands-on training was provided to Mr. Bakewa, equipping him with the skills to safely dismantle and reassemble the solar panels before and after extreme weather events. Additional construction works, painting, and retrofitting were also completed to ensure that students and staff have equal access to safe drinking water and appropriate sanitation and hygiene facilities.

Together, these interventions have strengthened the school’s resilience, reduced operational costs, and ensured continued access to safe water for students and staff.

By investing in sustainable infrastructure and local capacity, we are supporting not only learning environments, but healthier, safer, and more resilient communities.

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