71840 News from the Rapid Employment Project Rapid Employment Project in Honiara July 2012 Issue 1 Welcome to the Rapid Employment Project (REP) Newsletter! As REP marks two years of working in Honiara we would like to thank the Solomon Islands Government, World Bank, the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, partners, communi- ties and staff - past and present -for their support and commitment to the success of the Project. Sub-Component 1a: This sub-component, which is executed by the Background for the Project Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID), covers road repair, The Rapid Employment Project rehabilitation and maintenance of tertiary roads of Honiara. Through (REP – HCC & MID) was de- this, local contractors are engaged and are encouraged to employ signed as a rapid response to groups/individuals trained by the Project’s Pre Employment Training address the increasing unem- (PET). ployment, under-employment and poverty in Honiara by en- RES - MID has 6 contract packages ongoing, 1 contract package under couraging a labour intensive procurement, and 4 contract packages under preparation. A total of workforce approach as a key 3,141 person-days of work were created, and 225 persons were em- pre-requisite to peace building ployed. REP workforce clearing roadsides and sustainable development in This sub-component has engaged the Solomon Islands. two local companies to repair The background for the Project was the fragile post conflict condition and maintain Lengakiki and of the country following the tensions between 1998 and 2003, the Vura roads in June. The new conflict in 2006, and the fiscal crisis due to severe decline in economic contractors are JV & Partners, activity in 2009. SIG was concerned about the possible re-emergence who were awarded the repair & of violence in Honiara due to continued fragility, high population rehabilitation of 0.67 km of Vura growth, economic decline and resulting austerity measures, and re- road and the maintenance of quested World Bank assistance in 2009 to develop and finance a 0.803 km of Lengakiki/Mbuburu workfare type of project to support the vulnerable urban unemployed road, while E J Construction was RES-MID contract for repair and awarded the Maintenance of and under employed. rehabilitation of tertiary roads 1.515 km of Vura road. The Project commenced in 2010 and is spread over five years The two companies started their work on 18 June 2012 and have four (2010-2015) targeting vulnerable months to finish the road repair & rehabilitation contract, while under Honiara communities, with fi- maintenance contracts they have been tasked to properly maintain the nancing from three sources: WB- road for 1 year. IDA financing of US$ 3.34 mil- lion, SPF grant of US$ 1.82 mil- Earlier, the sub-component had contracted Lion Heart Company to lion, and PRIF grant of US$ 2 Women & children on the Gegema/ repair Gilbert Camp road, JP Company to repair and rehabilitate Ngossi million. The objectives of the Fulisango Jacob’s Ladder (Namoruka and Ngaliraugha) roads, and EJ Company to maintain Jack- Project are: son Ridge road. ► Increase incomes of the urban poor through the provision of short Sub-Component 1b: This sub-component, which is executed by the term employment, with a target of 500,000 labour days to be created Honiara City Council (HCC), covers urban works and services. over 5 years (250,000 for HCC and 250,000 for MID) Through this community groups are employed for rubbish/waste collec- tion, drainage cleaning, brush cutting on roadsides, parks and public ► Increase their knowledge, experience and basic employment skills places, construction of Jacob’s ladders for community access, and pav- that are valued in the work place and society, with a target of training ing of sidewalks and parking areas in the Central Business District 7,500 project beneficiaries (CBD) of Honiara. Update on Progress (June 2010-June 2012) RES - HCC created 224,926 per- son-days of work (90% of the The Project comprises three components as explained below: target of 250,000 person-days), through which 14,429 persons • Component 1: Rapid Employment Scheme (RES) were employed for an average of - Sub-Component 1a: Road Repair and Maintenance (MID) 16 days each. SB$ 7,431,965 -Sub-Component 1b: Urban Works and Services (HCC) (US$ 990,926) in wages were • Component 2: Pre-Employment Training (PET) transferred. Approximately 57% • Component 3: Project Management (HCC/MID) of the participants were women, and 51 % were youth (age 16-29). Component 1: Rapid Employ- This sub-component has pro- Jacob’s ladder under construction ment Scheme (RES) gressed at a rapid rate in terms of Rapid Employment Scheme meeting its overall target of creating 250,000 labour days over the five (RES) is Component 1of REP year period of project implementation. which aims to provide short term temporary employment Honiara is experiencing visible improvements through the activities of opportunities to the vulnerable this sub-component. Work starts as early as 4 am to clean the streets urban poor through employ- and unclog drainages, and the CBD has been given a facelift with paved ment in labour intensive pub- sidewalks and parking areas, along with a number of garden beds. REP-HCC paving the sidewalks and lic workforce. parking areas in Honiara CBD In some Honiara communities, Jacob’s ladders have been constructed Rapid Employment Project Office P.O. Box 864, Tel: 21173, Mobile: 7667732 Multipurpose Hall, Lawson Tama, Solomon Islands Email: vobimae@gmail.com for improving community access. Panatina Ridge, Mount Horeb, Rapid Employment Project (REP) on Friday, July 20, 2012 at the Heritage Gegema/Fulisango and Independence Valley Jacob’s ladders have Park Hotel. been completed. Soon to be started are additional Jacob’s ladders at The event was well attended, with active participation by the Honourable Gegema (Mataniko), Koa Hill and Lau Valley communities. Lord Mayor, all City Councilors and Special Nominees, the City Clerk, and the PS MID. The REP Project Managers, the Team Leader of PET, Component 2: Pre Employment Training (PET) and staff of REP and PET were also present and contributed in the work- PET commenced training on 20 shop. June 2011 and delivered training After opening remarks by the Lord Mayor and the PS - MID, the REP to 96 batches through June 2012. Project Managers, the PET Team Leader and the PET Team Members A total of 3,599 persons enrolled made presentations, following which questions, comments and concerns for the training (48% of the tar- were invited from the audience. get of 7,500), of which 3,312 (92%) successfully graduated. Mr. Charles Kelly, City Clerk, Mr. Eric Tema, Deputy Mayor, Mr. Ronald Fugui, HCC Nominee, and Mr. Moses Virivolomo, PS - MID expressed PET aims to bring about an atti- their appreciation for the implementation, achievements and impact of the tudinal change in the participants Group task for financial skills Project. and to improve their knowledge, training in PET experience and basic employ- Several City Councilors expressed their happiness with the work done by ment skills that are valued in the work place and the society at large. REP and said that their respective wards had benefitted greatly from the The training is provided by ABU Consult Berlin GmbH, an interna- construction of the Jacob’s ladder and repair & restoration of roads. They tional consultant recognized globally for project management, training also appreciated the improvement in Honiara’s CBD through REP, espe- and workforce development. cially the paved walkway and the parking area. One City Councilor said that he was waiting for REP to commence work in his ward for rehabili- Pre Employment Training comprises eight Life Skills Training Units: tating and improving the roads. Health and Personal Hygiene; Social Issues, Gender and Diversity; Environmental Awareness and Community Services; Problem Solving; Seeking Employment; Workplace Safety and Use of Hand Tools; Super- Some of the participants wondered about the sustainability of the initiative visor - Employee Relations; Financial Skills and Management. after donor funding stops, but wished the Project success and greater achievements in the days and months ahead. The Workshop was conclud- Up to 80 participants enroll ed on a high note, with a sense of satisfaction and with added hope for the for PET each week, and future. training is imparted in two batches. The trainees are encouraged to participate Success Stories from Beneficiaries actively in the learning process, which is an en- Beyond the visible effect of providing a facelift to Honiara, the Rapid riching experience for Employment Project has touched the lives of many urban poor individuals them, and the trainings and families, and aims to leave behind a lasting legacy. PET graduates have consistently been immensely popular. Fabian Bebino Alani, 25, is from Bokona. He has had no formal educa- Participants graduate on successful completion of all 5 days of the tion, was unemployed, and was forced to leave his family last year after a training and are awarded graduation certificates that have proved valu- family dispute. He learnt about REP and was motivated by the project able in securing jobs with government agencies, companies, business staff to benefit from the Project. He houses, NGOs and even with some consulates. attended the Pre Employment Train- ing in April 2012 and was subse- Component 3: Project Management (REP - HCC/MID) quently provided short term employ- ment through the RES. Good financial progress has been achieved with overall disbursement of 39% in the elapsed time of 40%. IDA disbursed: 42%; SPF dis- Fabian saved the wages he earned bursed: 66%; PRIF disbursed: 8%. through RES and used his savings to The World Bank’s implementation support team visits Honiara every set up and run a small canteen at six months in order to monitor and evaluate, and to provide support to Bokona where he sells noodles, the Project’s ongoing activities. While some challenges exist, the Fabian Alani canned fish, mobile top up, cigarettes World Bank is satisfied with the overall progress and pace of project and betel nuts. He uses the financial implementation. skills that he learnt in the Pre Em- ployment Training, especially budget- Annual Capacity Building Workshop ing and bookkeeping, to effectively run and to slowly expand his small business. Joana Kafoikao, 40, and her husband John, along with their two children, Lucy, 4 and Junior, 9, used to make a living from collecting scrap metal, tins and bottles at the rubbish dump at Ranadi. Last year Joana and John, along with others from the dump site, were moti- Joana Kafoikao vated to participate in the Rapid Em- ployment Project and were given The Annual Capacity Building Workshop at the short term employment through RES Building Workshop Heritage Park Hotel on July 20, 2012 after undergoing the Pre Employment Training. An annual capacity building workshop for Honiara City Councilors They saved their earnings from RES and used the money to start a small was hosted by the Pre Employment Training (PET) component of the canteen and sell goods. They never returned to the rubbish dump site.