Honiara, Solomon Islands: Temotu Province is taking a decisive step towards ensuring improved service delivery for its communities through a new partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), supported by the European Union.

The partnership was formalised today in Honiara with the signing of a Letter of Agreement between Hon. Premier Stanley Tehiahua and UNDP. This agreement enables a grant of SBD 600,000 to implement five targeted WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions across the province. These projects will directly benefit 1,561 people, including 518 women, 445 men, 300 girls, and 298 boys, across schools and health centres in both Santa Cruz and the Reef Islands.

The activities under the new agreement include:

• Lipe Clinic WASH/Sanitation Project – Nenubo Ward, Temotu Pele Constituency
• Lata ECE School WASH Project – Nevenema Ward, Temotu Nende Constituency
• Bomata Primary School WASH Project – Bekapo Ward, Temotu Pele Constituency
• Ngadeli ECE School Water Tank Project – Nupua-Nopoli Ward, Temotu Pele
• Tetoli Community High School WASH Project – Duff Islands Ward, Temotu Pele

Premier Tehiahua highlighted the significance of this partnership, stating, "These projects are more than infrastructure—they are a commitment to dignity, education, and health for the people of my province, the most remote in Solomon Islands and often forgotten in our country."

UNDP Solomon Islands Programme Manager, Mozammel Haque, praised Temotu’s proactive engagement, noting that "the 2025 agreement will continue with the model for provincial leadership in delivering basic services through decentralised planning and implementation that the PGSD project started last year."

Temotu leads the signing of this year’s agreements as the Provincial Government and Service Delivery project, responding to the request of the European Union, will extend its support to all nine provinces in Solomon Islands. In addition to last year’s provinces, grants in 2025 will also reach Makira, Malaita, and Rebel. This is the second year for Temotu, and the project aims for a third round of grants in 2026.

As Solomon Islands continues to progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the National Development Strategy, Temotu Province’s leadership offers a hopeful blueprint for ensuring no community is left behind, even the most remote.

For more information or media enquiries please contact:
Daniel C. Gonzalez, Communications Analyst, UNDP Solomon Islands Office, daniel.calderon.gonzalez@undp.org | +677 7740740