10
structures were erected by the government.
These were to be
used by the members of the Kili boat crew and others while
the craft was anchored off Jabwor.
Three smaller islands were
provided from which the Kili residents of Jabwor could obtain
coconuts,
pandanus and other local foods.
The typhoon wiped
out the village on Jabwor and the few Kili people there left
the atoll for good.
A community development project was set up to assist the
Kill people to develop and exploit the resources of the island
to the maximum.
Handicraft production was stimulated.
The
production of the now famous Kili Bags has continued but other
items are no longer made for export.
Attempts were made to exploit the large taro patch area aa
a source of food, and possibly cash income,
Two taro lifts
Were made to Kusaie Island in the Ponape District.
Large quan-
tities of high quality taro plants were obtained and planted on
Kili.
It soon became obvious that the former Bikinians,
to
whom taro was a very minor and unimportant item, were not
interested in cultivating this useful plant.
It should be
added that taro cultivation is becoming increasingly of less
importance throughout the Marshalis,
even in those areas in the
southern Marshall where taro once flourished.
The taro patch
itself was ruined during the typhoon of December 1957.
Wave
action flooded the area with salt water, which killed the few
plants which were left and affected the freshwater lens.
LP