About 30 minutes by boat from Port Moresby City lies Daugo (Fisherman) Island. Here, water has been essential for the community’s survival, with increased climate change weather patterns affecting the community of about 2,000 people.
To that end, SOURCE Global and subcontractor TWL have delivered safe and quality drinking water to Daugo, generated from innovative cutting-edge technology using hydropanels.
The water project was funded and supported by The Lighthouse Group, the US Department of State, and the Nordic Development Fund.
The PNG Department of Education launched its partnership with SOURCE Global, leveraging SOURCE Hydropanel technology to provide clean, reliable drinking water at Daugo Primary School.
PNG-based TWM Group, who has partnered with SOURCE to support the deployment of renewable water technology in Papua New Guinea, led the project delivery and maintenance services.
Daugo Primary School hosted the momentous event on Wednesday 23rd of November with invited stakeholders and government dignitaries to officially open the water supply project, as school children appreciated the vital service by saying “thank you” to SOURCE Global.
Speaking on behalf of Daugo Primary School, Head Teacher Mr. Cyie Home thanked SOURCE Global and TWL for the water supply project.
"As we all know, water has been a big problem as most of our water tanks have been worn out and water has been unsafe to drink, resulting in the closure of the school, and we are grateful to SOURCE Global for this,” Mr. Home said.
"Other problems still affecting the school, in which our invited guests need to be aware of, are the run-down classrooms and the school uniforms that (students) are in need of assistance,” he said.
“Daugo Primary School and the broader Fisherman’s Island community has faced long-standing challenges with drinking water supply that were largely due to traditional urban water supply methods not being a feasible option to serve remote communities or small islands like ours,” said Sam Lora, First Assistant Secretary Innovation Division, PNG Department of Education.
“The Hydropanel solution was installed and commissioned in a number of weeks and has given our school and community a lasting supply of water that is hugely impactful,” he added.
SOURCE Global Chief Revenue Officer, Robert Bartrop, sees the Daugo Primary School installation as an example of what happens when public and private sector officials work towards a common vision.
"The Pacific Islands have the greatest drinking water challenges of any region in the world. It’s a problem that is especially apparent in villages and small islands like Fisherman’s Island. We are thrilled to be partnering with the PNG Department of Education to invest in vulnerable communities with technology designed to combat water scarcity and climate risks,” said Bartrop.
Operating completely off-grid, SOURCE’s Hydropanels use solar energy to draw moisture out of the air and push it through water-absorbing material. This process passively turns water vapour into drinking water that’s mineralised for health and taste, and kept clean in a storage tank until it’s needed.
