The trip was made on behalf of the Alexandra-based ''It's Not About Us' charity, which has provided water pumps and other support for Vanuatu villages.
Mr Scarlet is one of three trustees of the charity, along with Wayne Perkins and Matt Born, also of Alexandra.
Mrs Scarlet said they installed a self-powered water pump at the Millennium Cave school at Santo, which was hooked up to an existing pipe to provide a constant supply of fresh water from a river 1.5km away.
The pupils previously had to walk the 3km round trip to the river to cart water back for drinking and washing.
Mr Scarlet said the project cost less than $10,000 including freight, and while the charity raised money through donations and a concert in Alexandra, and received other assistance, the villagers provided their time and labour to install the pump.
''We worked in partnership,'' Mr Scarlet said.
He and other trustees intend to return in August for the next phase of the project, to install piping so water can be gravity fed to eight surrounding villages.
The pump uses cooking oil as a lubricant, which has a low environmental impact and is easier to obtain.
Mrs Scarlet said the village had a water tank but that ran out during droughts.
''One guy said they hadn't had water running since World War 2.''
She said they had visited the islands before.
''While there we met some amazing people, so we went back to help them,'' Mrs Scarlet said.
''Every time we go back we find more and more needs.''
''We have done work on three or four different islands in Vanuatu and could spend all our time on one,'' Mr Scarlet said.
-Yvonne O'Hara
