Impact Spotlight

Restoring a community water supply system for 7,000 people after Vanuatu’s 2024 earthquake

Developing an assistive technology repair hub benefitting 500 people to date through 3D printing for wheelchairs and assistive devices

Building mobile workshops for rapid repair of water, sanitation, and solar power systems during disaster response across four Pacific island countries

About

Lembal is a community on Gaua Island in Torba Province, one of Vanuatu’s most remote regions, where distance and limited transport can make access to infrastructure, equipment, and repair services difficult. Agriculture remains central to livelihoods across Gaua, with households growing crops including cassava, bananas, yams, kava, and coconuts. Reliable water and energy infrastructure are especially important in a country highly exposed to cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and other disruptions.

Field Ready works across the Pacific to make essential infrastructure and repair capacity more locally accessible. Rather than relying solely on equipment and expertise brought in after a crisis, the organization trains local engineers, technicians, and community members to design, manufacture, maintain, and repair water, sanitation, energy, and assistive technologies themselves. Its Pacific work spans Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, and Solomon Islands and includes mobile workshops that can be deployed directly to communities during emergencies.

In Lembal, that approach will pair reliable solar and water infrastructure with local management and productive uses of energy, strengthening both everyday livelihoods and the community’s ability to respond when outside supply chains are disrupted.

“By ‘making it local’ we shift reliance on aid to sustainable, community-led solutions. Localization, innovation and partnership are the foundation of our work. As young indigenous engineers Field Ready’s approach gives us the opportunity to use our skills, abilities and confidence to solve problems and make and fix things in our community. This proves that investment in local technical talent by providing access to tools and training significantly increases local self-reliance, resilience and quality of life for local communities.”

— Timoci Vosailagi and Krishneel Singh, Technical Leads, Pacific Islands Region

HF Partnership

Through this partnership, Field Ready will install a community-scale solar microgrid and solar-powered bore-well system in Lembal on Gaua Island, replacing unreliable diesel generation and poorly performing solar infrastructure with locally managed clean energy. The system will provide reliable power for water access and a productive-use hub where locally grown food can be processed and preserved—helping families reduce losses, extend shelf life, and generate greater income from agricultural production.

The project will pair new infrastructure with operations, maintenance, and financial-management training, with an existing local social enterprise overseeing a community fund to support long-term upkeep. The economic hub will also provide vocational training in food processing and preservation, connecting reliable energy and water with stronger livelihoods, local skills, and disaster preparedness.