Charles Knight, 64, has just returned from six months on deployment with international emergency response agency RedR Australia, helping to relieve the impact of a severe drought.

After arriving in February, Mr Knight co-ordinated the distribution of emergency relief supplies like buckets, jerry cans, tarpaulins and aqua tabs to purify water to the affected areas.

He also oversaw the drilling of bore holes and installation of hand pumps in eight schools in the remote highlands to ensure a sustainable drinking supply and improve sanitation.

Mr Knight said many schools only had storage tanks as their only source of water.

“So if it doesn’t rain every week, they run out of water,” he said.

Installing the pumps makes a huge and exciting difference for the students, staff and indeed the entire neighbourhood.

“Giving a source of water to the school becomes a community water source,” Mr Knight said. “To see the look on the faces of the children and the teachers when out comes water.

“Only 13 per cent of PNG’s rural population have access to improved sanitation and only 20 per cent have access to improved water, so these kids are lucky. 

“The pumps are pretty sturdy, we try to make them so they’ll last 10 to 15 years with minimum maintenance.”

Mr Knight has completed five deployments for RedR Australia and also AVI, formerly Australian Volunteers International, serving in countries such as the Maldives, the Philippines and Jordan. Now retired, his career in local government took him around Victoria and ended with a stint at Towong Council. 

He and wife Vicki have six adult children, with the youngest two Megan and Narissa former students of The Scots School Albury.

Mr Knight intends to keep on contributing overseas.

“If you’ve got some skills, you may as well use them,” he said.