A brief 10-day internship has sparked a vital conversation on water safety and sanitation at Saru MGM Primary School, led by a visiting student from Japan.
Social Innovation Fiji (SIF) intern Maho Yoshida of Saitama near Tokyo recently completed a self-funded project centred on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Clean Water and Sanitation.
Driven by a passion for solving global social problems collectively and quickly, Ms Yoshida identified clean water as the most pressing topic for her mission in Fiji.
Ms Yoshida’s project moved from concept to classroom in just four days, following successful consultations with key government bodies.
”I went to Ministry of Education, and I got approval and then I went to the Water Authority of Fiji where I got information about where is the best primary school to teach about how to get clean water,” she said.
Despite initial nerves about approaching the ministry and the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF), she praised the local cooperation that allowed her to work smoothly.
”I was so nervous, but they were so kind and accepted my project quickly.”
Ms Yoshida’s project used a blend of visual presentations and physical activity to engage the students.
”I only teach them how to get clean water from rainwater by using my presentation and then I used dance when presenting to the children.”
The initiative received strong backing from the head of Saru MGM Primary School.
”Rainwater is difficult to drink directly, we must filter it and boil it, then we can use it but children may not know about it.
“I’m planning to introduce my project in Fiji to Japanese companies. I want to cooperate with them, and I want to contribute to Fiji more from Japan.”
While her current project has concluded, Ms Yoshida views this as the beginning of a larger contribution to the region.
