CHIEF Abraham Sirodana of Pupuku Village in Ward 12 at Northwest Choiseul has raised concerns against their MPA regarding community assistance with any development project.
According to Mr Sirodana, they are still waiting for any assistance from Ward 12’s Member of Provincial Government (MPA) Gideon Panisaga since he was elected to power.
“Apart from usual receiving of Christmas token’s for parties, we are still hoping for any further developments to take place at our area,” said Sirodana.
Attempts to contact Mr Panisaga were futile yesterday.
Choiseul province is currently looking forward for its provincial government election to take place soon.
THE Western provincial assembly will convene their last full assembly sitting from May 22 – 29 in Gizo.
Premier Wayne Maepioh confirmed to Island Sun Gizo yesterday the 26-member assembly house will convene their last sitting before the Western province election on June 13, 2018.
Maepioh said that the final assembly sitting under his capacity will discuss the Division reports and the Audit report for the last financial in year 2016-2017of the provincial government office.
“It’s a wind down full assembly sitting of the 10th assembly under my capacity of the provincial government.”
“This would be the last assembly meeting of the 11 executive under my premiership over the four years,” said Maepioh
Maepioh said that the venue for the full assembly sitting will be known after a final programme is drawn.
Mr Samson Hsu explaining to the men the importance of soild they need to understand when preparing soil for their farming during the visit to Bethel village on Monday
BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
Mr Samson Hsu explaining to the men the importance of soild they need to understand when preparing soil for their farming during the visit to Bethel village on Monday
MORE than 30 male farmers from Bethel village in West Kwara’ae have learnt new methods of planting root crops.
Manager of Adaliua Taiwan Technical Mission Mr Samson Hsu went to their village and taught them simple ways of farming or planting potato.
He first went through with them on the theory side of planting potato, then later took them out to the field where they underwent practical demonstrations on the methods he had taught.
During demonstration he also encouraged them to use natural fertiliser from green manure which will save them from costly commercial fertilisers.
Hsu did some measurement of spacing between the location of rows where the men put the fertilisers and dug the soil into them to make the rows.
After completing about two rows for the demonstration, he taught the men on how to plant the potato with only a vine per row.
He told them that he identified local farmers using up to eight vines to plant in a mound which is too many and will not make good harvest.
Hsu also points out that nature is also a very important player in farming, which determines whether the yield will be good or bad.
In addition to that he said “caring for your farm is very important ensuring your farm must clean from unnecessary weeds to make them grow healthy”.
Hsu encouraged the men that applying the Taiwanese method of root crop farming requires less resource and time, however, gives good harvest.
RESIDENTS from Naha to Borderline are complaining that nothing is being done on the short bus routes which they are still being forced to pay for.
They say buses are still running short routes unabated, with no sign of authorities stepping in.
Concerned commuters are calling responsible authority to monitor bus services running from Naha to Borderline.
They say that bus drivers and their conductors now have a new cunning technique of deceiving passengers.
They put signboards saying Central Market in front of their buses, but only turn around at the SDA bus stop.
They also say that buses running from Naha Kola deceive passengers by putting central market signs and those picking from borderline and Kobito bus stops do not put any sign board.
According to the Honiara City Council, route for Naha Kola should be from Central Market to borderline and return while Naha is from Central Market to Naha store and borderline.
The SDA bus stop is not the official required destination for both destinations -Naha and Naha Kola, according to HCC.
Participants practise entering of data through tablets during the training.
BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
Participants attending the Verbal Autopsy training in Auki on Monday
A two-day training on civil registration and vital statistics especially on verbal autopsy ends on 8th May in Auki.
The training is part of a project under WHO which has been carried out in the country since 2016.
Data for Health Country Coordinator of WHO, Mr Rodley Ruskin said the project aims to improve civil registration and vital statistics in the country.
He explained that civil registration and vital statistics covers areas on vital image of death and birth.
“This is to collect data on births and deaths in the country and also to improve registration.
“At the same the vital statistic part of it is to improve data to produce report where work can focus on its outcomes.
“For example, upon data collected especially on deaths in the country, we identify diseases leading to the death where it helps us to work on the disease,” Ruskin said.
He said the focus of the project for Solomon Islands is on collecting data on death.
“Last year we did training under the project for doctors across the country for certifying diseases resulted in deaths in the hospitals.
Participants practise entering of data through tablets during the training.
“Thus, we see a need to go right to rural areas with the project since big percent of deaths occur outside of hospitals.
“So this year we did verbal autopsy with the focus of certifying deaths happen outside of hospitals where sometimes happen in clinics or homes,” he said.
Ruskin said with this verbal autopsy method rural health practitioners can take probable cause of death (which is the disease) and enter them in the database for analysis.
“So the training now is to train rural health practitioners to understand how to use tablets with process require entering the data on deaths,” he said.
Ruskin said 15 health practitioners from across Malaita province are attending the training.
He said the training is facilitated by WHO and funded by Bloomberg Data for Institute and DFAT.
Participants of the Culinary Training posing for a group photo with Hon. Minister of Culture and Tourism Bartholomew
Parapolo (front row, third from right)
BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
One of the participants receiving his certificate from Hon. Minister Bartholomew Parapolo.
THE culinary and hospitality training initiative carried out at the Honiara Hotel last week has successfully wrapped up over the weekend with certificate awards to the participants.
18 participants were taught on how to cook local food and basic hospitality.
Minister of Tourism and Culture Bartholomew Parapolo conveyed his appreciation to people who have supported the training, saying “Thanks for the support dedicated towards this very essential undertaking especially the betterment of catering and hospitality sector of the tourism industry in Solomon Islands.
“Participants you are so fortunate to be part of this training, hence I asked you to practice and use up knowledges obtained from this initiative.”
Rachel Bennett, a female participant, said the knowledge obtained on how to cook and prepare local foods will help Pacific island countries in terms of promoting local food for visitors to have a taste of the natural flavours and recipes.
Chef Collin Chung facilitator of the Culinary training.
“I would like to thank Chief Colin Chung to have taught us different styles of preparing and cooking of local foods as well as the hospitality,” she said.
Chef Colin Chung said a large part of this training is to empower communities to showcase the components of this country’s culture in terms of catering and hospitality.
“I believe that this initiative not only possible, but essential as selling tool and bonus to the country’s experience.”
Hon. Minister for Culture and Tourism, Bartholomew Parapolo.
BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
Hon. Minister for Culture and Tourism, Bartholomew Parapolo.
THE Minister of Tourism and Culture Bartholomew Parapolo has highlighted that culinary and hospitality has contributed to the growth and advancement of Solomon Islands Tourism sector.
He said this at the closing of the weeklong culinary and hospitality training at the Honiara Hotel over the weekend.
He said tourism industry is one sector that has contributed a lot to the expansion of this country’s economy.
“Hence organising and hosting of culinary and hospitality trainings is a bonus of the tourism industry.
“All this things have contributed a lot to the advancement of this particular sector because we are dealing with visitors,” Parapolo said.
A participant receiving her certificate from Hon. Minister Bartholomew Parapolo.
He said with regards to this initiative it is important the country must produce quality local foods and that the hospitality offered must be of standard to reflect Solomon Islands cultures and history.
The warm and friendly hospitality from the Happy Isles must be maintained, he adds.
Kenneth Sagupari member of the Ngella Forum speaking during the awareness session. Photos by Aelanlife Photography/Ngella Forum page.
BY DANIEL KAKADI
Members of the Ngella Forum posing for a group photo.
THE Sandfly community in Ngella, Central province, have engaged in a two-day awareness on the destructive outcomes of mining over the weekend.
The talk was organised by a small team of four self-funded volunteers from the Ngella forum social media group.
The talk was held at Leitongo-1 and Dala villages attracting more than 100 listeners.
Speaking to the Island Sun, Ngella forum members said, “The purpose of the trip is to make awareness on the destructive outcome of mining if the sandfly people would allow mining to take place in sandfly.”
Leaders from both villages applaud the Ngella forum members for taking up the initiative to facilitate this awareness to their people, and are calling on the provincial government to listen to the people on such matters of concern.
One of the leaders in Leitongo-1 village says the Ngella forum group must work together with the Valevoukolu ( house of chiefs) to address mining and logging issues facing the province.
He questions whether mining is in the best interest of the Ngella people, or whether the people stand to benefit in the long run.
He adds that they have learnt lessons from neighbouring province Rennell and Bellona and the social and environmental problems the people there are facing, so as in neighbouring countries like PNG and Vanuatu.
Kenneth Sagupari member of the Ngella Forum speaking during the awareness session. Photos by Aelanlife Photography/Ngella Forum page.
The last day of awareness at Dala village have shown that people have expressed their support with the Ngella forum saying
Participants, during the last day of talks, expressed that “it is a good thing to see indigenous sons and daughters the upcoming generation of Ngella are taking the big steps to tackle issues that affect the people and the islands”.
Among the key speakers, were Kenneth Sagupari a degree-graduate in tourism and hospitality from USP and Francis William Rea, studying information science in the Philippines who also has experience in tracking mining in the Pacific.
Ngella Forum strongly condemns mining and logging in the Central province.
“One of the obvious avenue that fits Central province is tourism with the beautiful islands of central province once mining takes place as logging, mining and tourism don’t go together in development s we will lose our potential for tourism for ever,” says Mr Sagupari during the talk.
The team have thanked people who have supported in preparing and launching the talk. “It shows that we do have a big concern for our islands.”
A man doing his marketing using his coconut basket.
MUNDA, another big township in the Western province, is leading the way in the province’s plan to ban plastic as of July.
Most market venders in Munda are selling baskets for shopping that are weaved using coconut leaves.
At present, the use of plastic for shopping in shops and in markets is very high in the province. Apart from Asian shops, locals also buy plastics and re-sell them in small retail stores and in markets.
With a ban on plastic now coming up in the province, some people have commended the initiative as well as the practice done by Munda market vendors.
Perry, a Munda resident, told Island Sun Gizo that a ban will not be a surprise for their vendors.
He said the use of shopping baskets produced using tree leaves is good as they are environment friendly.
The young Munda resident said the ban will be an additional benefit for women in Munda who are into traditional basket weaving.
Woven coconut baskets at the Munda market
When announcing his province’s plastic ban plan, Premier Wayne Maepioh said his administration is aggressively pursuing it.
Maepioh said his administration is conscious about the environment of the province therefore the need to impose such restriction.
He said the plastic-free campaign has now reached its phase two for implementation.
The ban will cover shopping bags in markets and shops and ice-block plastics.
Maepioh also noted the ban would give the women of the province a lucrative business opportunity to tap into.
Munda vendors appear to have been enjoying home-basket weaving for shopping purpose.
NON-communicable disease is reported to be the number-one killer in Solomon Islands.
According to a report recently released by WHO on data collected in every hospital in the country, the majority of deaths is categorised under NCD related disease.
Data for Health Country Coordinator of WHO, Mr Rodley Ruskin told this yesterday when asked on whether they have already released any report on verbal autopsy in the country.
He said for the project they are currently implementing, they are yet to release any report as they still gathering information or yet to gather enough data.
However, Ruskin said for hospitals they have already done an analysis on data collected where NCD ranks number one out of top 10 diseases in the country.
“So NCD is a big problem in the country where lots of people have died from its related diseases,” he said.
Ruskin said the report was made from data collected by doctors in hospitals across the country.
He said the report is only for hospitals however this current verbal autopsy will provide a nationwide report since it will collect data on all deaths in the country.
