A remote Cook Islands school on the northern group island is joining forces with its community to keep the island clean and safe in case a potential dengue outbreak reaches the Northern islands.

Apii Nassau principal Pana Ru is leading an island-wide effort to remain committed to cleanliness by eliminating water-holding waste, aiming to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases if they reach the northern group islands.

A dengue fever outbreak, declared in May in Rarotonga, has recorded 33 cases as of June 18.

Following the outbreak of dengue in Rarotonga, the residents of Nassau began to discuss ways to maintain the safety of their island.

Apii Nassau and the community joined forces for a whole island clean-up in mid-June, with residents taking the initiative to remove cans, plastics and other objects capable of holding water.

The school teacher aide and media officer Ketia Kiliuya said: “It is also good for the community to get in the habit of doing things like these and looking after our island.”

Everyone assembled at the meeting house earlier this month, where they began with a prayer.  The people were split into teams, with Apii Nassau teaming up to clean up various areas, including rubbish holes, areas around plants, and banana trees.

Prior to the recent community initiative, a meeting was held where community members discussed solutions to help keep the island clean and to spread awareness of a potential dengue outbreak.

All factors and risks of the dengue fever reaching Nassau were taken into consideration.

The community began to consider the likelihood of dengue making its way to Nassau, particularly through ferry trips.

During the meeting, principal Ru spoke up, warning that Nassau must take action before dengue fever makes its way to the island.

Everyone in the meeting agreed and decided to work together, “collecting cans and plastic bottles and other things that hold water,” Kiliuya said.

“This would all be brought together and buried at the dumping ground on the island as we are so remote, there is really nothing else we could do.”

Ru was especially proud of her students for committing to their role of keeping their island clean and safe.

She was grateful that the students understood the process of collecting what was necessary and discarding what was not.

“I could see that the students really enjoyed working alongside with their families and it was more like a game for them to see who could collect the most cans and you could hear their excitement when they found them, it seemed like they found treasure,” principal Ru said.

The students also learned the importance of community safety. Through this initiative, they learned about the risk factors associated with dengue and how the fever spreads from an infected mosquito to people.

“They also learnt some tips on being safe like putting holes through cans when they are finished with them to stop water being held in them.”

Vatuanga Tuakatau, a Year 11 student, who took part in the community project, shared her experience working with the community.

“I think the cleanup was good because the community worked together and it (the island) got cleaned up quickly. I learned that mosquitoes feed in cans and plastics with water, and one infected mosquito can make everyone on the island sick.”

After the clean-up, the participants gathered to share their thoughts with one another.

Ru suggested setting up drums around the island to collect cans, plastics and other non-burnable objects. Once the drums are full, the environment officers will transport them to the dump site where these objects will be buried. Everyone agreed.