IEDCR Support for Kwaibala Road Upgrade Applauded

Kwaibala Road in the south of Auki Town of Malaita Province was an eye soar early this year due to its deteriorated condition.

This was until an upgrade on the feeder road, which started in April this year and was completed by early June, thanks to the SBD355,000 funding support from IEDCR .

The support is a component of the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) of the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS).

Through the Integrated Economic Development and Community Resilient (IEDCR) Project of the World Bank, Malaita province accessed PCDF funding support of up to $355,000 (SBD) from its 2022/23 budget towards the unsealed feeder road project.

Having gone through the important processes, the Island Engineering Consultants Limited (IECL) was contracted for the work that began on April 29th, 2024.

The work included spot repair and upgrade, patrol grading to scrape existing road surface, increased sections that needed filling, compaction, and cleaning vegetation over shoulders and existing culverts.

The Kwaibala Road Commuters applauded the work, especially women who use it daily.

“For those of us who use this road daily, especially us mothers, the road upgrade is a boost to our marketing activities because it is now convenient and faster to reach Auki Market with our produce, and so we are happy for this good work,” a mother and a resident around Kwaibala area, Cathey Fito’o, said in an interview on June 14th.

Cathy and her son Charley were daily users of the feeder road as their home is situated right at the end of it.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Consy, another resident in the village, testified that the road upgrade raised her interest in engaging in income-generating activities.

“When our road is bad, public transport often ignores our call to pick up our produce to the market, but now I can easily transport my Betelnut for sale as taxis are willing to come to our place, and this boosts my interest to engage in such activities,” she said.

Catching up with Mrs. Consy while returning from the market that evening, with a smile, she said, students would also enjoy using the smooth road for their access to schools daily as that is the only path leading to different schools in Auki.

IEDCR project acknowledges the World Bank and the SIG for the support that enabled it to co-fund the project with the PCDF for the Malaita Provincial Government.

The IEDCR project is committed to working with communities, through the Malaita Provincial Government, to ensure resilience to climate change and increase their access to socio-economic infrastructures.

If Malaita continues to qualify for PCDF, more resources for its development budget shall be available to deliver several projects of this nature that will change the lives of the people in rural communities.

The IEDCR project is now focused more on resilient economic infrastructures to help kick-start rural economic growth after the two-year pandemic that devastated the local economy.

IEDCR project has ear-marked SBD84 million to support the provinces in the next four years to deliver resilient economic and social infrastructures about SBD35 Million of which must focus on roads, bridges, jetties, fishery centers, water, sanitation, electricity, and information technology.

It is gratifying to note that the new PS of Malaita Province is mobilizing all possible resources to ensure full and continuous access to PCDF to deliver resilient infrastructure.

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– MPGIS Media Release