May 22, 2025, 3:19pm MDT
Elder Peter F. Mels, a member of the ruling authority, Cebueti and Pacific Presidential Presidency, approached the Kiliberty government in September 2022 and said, “What is the biggest problem facing your country?”
This extended hand launched an ongoing water project at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in order to bring clean drinking water to ten islands of Kilibati. Three years later, as of April 2025, the church’s Pacific newsroom reported that clean drinking water was flowing across five islands.
Tonga also benefited from this water aid effort beyond the church’s desire for collaboration.
Plans with Kiliberty
After Elder Mears spoke with officials of the Kiliberty government, he was part of a conference in Brisbane, Australia, and explained the need for the Kiliberty people, a Pacific newsroom reported. President Adam Smith, a stock in Australia’s Gold Coast, had just returned from a water conference where fellow engineers had a solution.
According to the church’s Pacific newsroom, drought and rising sea levels contaminated Kilibati well water, killing six to eight children each week due to diseases related to contaminated water. The country and churches have agreed to the installation of 10 new solar plants on the islands that have been affected the most.
Ruth M. Cross, Church Welfare and Independence Manager at Kiliberty, said:
The church was called Elder Jeff Brock and sister Judy Brock, and was called a humanitarian missionary working with Suez Group, a French-based utility and water management company.
“We stepped into this project,” recalls Sister Brock.
Many obstacles blocked the project path. Many islands were only accessible by boat, overloading barges, causing supply delivery.
On one of these trips, Brock discovered that the barges lacked enough fuel for their next trip to the island. Sister Block posted on social media for help, and before Barge’s departure time, a 14-year-old boy appeared.
“The 14-year-old boy responded with fuel a few hours before his early morning departure. He saved us,” Sister Brock reported.
On August 11, 2024, the first desalinated plants flowed to Aranuka Island. Local islanders have stepped up to train them on how to manage solar power plants. Five months later, OA Island ran a new factory in January, followed by Bell Island the following month in February. This momentum extends to the next island of Abatik and Aloe, where two more plants opened in April.
The second phase includes five plants, from the northern and southern tips of Maana Island, North Tarawa, Abaan and Maracai Islands, according to a report from the Pacific Newsroom.
With the temple on its way to the island, the church plans to double the number of agreed desalted plants in Kilibati.
More nutrition in Tonga country
This water aid initiative in the Pacific Islands has approached the church to help replace the village’s water pumps, according to the Pacific Newsroom. The church agreed and went until they built a second tank in addition to the village’s new water pump.
“Today seems like a day of liberation as we are relieved of years of issues with water supply,” said Lōpeti Senituli, a member of the Fāhefa Development Committee. “We are grateful to the church members who helped them.”
