DEAR EDITOR, an article in Island Sun newspaper on Tuesday April 24, 2018, tells how Pastor Jacob Sibia, from the village of Belaha in Central Guadalcanal, has been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen for his inspirational volunteer work in providing access to education for local children in need.

Pastor Sibia is to be presented with a signed certificate from Her Majesty by His Excellency the British High Commissioner in Honiara, HE David Ward at a forthcoming ceremony.

The award to Pastor Sibia, styled the 42nd Point of Light, is an exceptional award for voluntary and inspirational service across the 52 Commonwealth countries for those making differences in their respective communities and beyond.

I am sure all will wish to congratulate Pastor Sibia on his award and to thank him for his voluntary work in aiding local children in need with an education.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, preparation was under way in Auki for the application of a MOU between the MEHRD and the MHMS setting out a planned “health environment for schools in the country,” according to the Island Sun newspaper featured article on Friday, April 13, 2018

The article went on to say that teachers from schools in the central region of Malaita were about to commence a weeklong training exercise in order to identify pressing health issues in local schools and to have the necessary knowledge to be able to pass on advice and guidance on health programmes to be introduced to schools.

I welcome the news of working towards a healthier school environment but am left wondering to what extent the planning will lead to the giving of correct nutritional advice to school children and their parents.

The increasing avoidance of traditional foods and the consumption of imported foods and drinks have led to a vast increase in non communicable diseases (NCD’s) starting from obesity and resulting in heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure in many people in the Solomon Islands, causing premature deaths in a number of instances.

I believe it should be important to incorporate nutritional advice in any envisaged school environmental plan.

A number of reviews of nutrition education programmes in developing countries have been undertaken in recent years. These have been valuable both to highlight difficulties which can occur and also to provide examples of good practice which can be shared.

Pacific Island governments are increasingly aware that rapidly rising public expenditure on NCDs has a high opportunity cost in terms of resources that could have been allocated elsewhere, both health and non-health investment, such as rural roads and electricity generation.

In respect of the training of teachers in preparation for the launch of the proposed school environmental plan, I have to say that actually bringing about behaviour change depends on many factors – probably the most critical being having behaviour change as the clear aim of a programme.

The availability of trained personnel who understand and can implement behaviour change strategies appropriately, and who can involve learners in solving their own nutrition problems is essential.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

DEAR EDITOR, having first linked-up with the New Zealand based Take My Hands (TMH) Charity Trust and the Solomon Islands Forest Association (SFA) in early 2015, I can reveal how TMH and the SFA have responded to appeals for help for the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services and local NGO’s with donated medical equipment and supplies, mobility aids, clothing, footwear, furniture and hospital beds which, in total to-date, has exceeded$350,819 NZD in value.

Given the value of those donated supplies, based on the extended length of life of the equipment, the number of people helped will be nearly 100,000.

In October 2015, the SFA paid SBD 25,000 for the freight and handling charges incurred in having a 20 foot container shipped by TMH with 48 hospital beds and mattresses for the National Referral Hospital (NRH)

On 2 April 2018, a further 20 foot container, also pre-paid by a donation of the SFA, arrived in Honiara containing 90 boxes of second-hand clothing and footwear for the children in the care of the Hearts of Hope Charity on Malaita, mobility aids, crutches, walking frames, walking sticks and some wheel chairs for the Association of Persons’ with Disabilities, office furniture for the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT) and a micro-wave and kitchen utensils for one of the Women’s Refuge Centre.

The SFA has now agreed to pay over US11,400 to ship two 40 foot containers containing 100 hospital beds needed urgently by the NRH and two provincial hospitals, one in Isabel and the other in Malaita Province.

Some 18 months ago, a MOU was agreed and signed between the MOHMS and TMH (and myself as a facilitator/coordinator) to supply between 8 to10 20 foot containers of medical equipment to the NRH per year.

So far, in terms of that MOU, 3 x 20ft containers with a range of medical equipment have been received by the NRH.

The second phase payment of $25,000 NZD is awaited by TMH before further containers can be sent with more equipment and supplies.

I am extremely grateful to both Take My Hands and the Solomon Islands Forestry Association for pulling resources together in what has been a fine humanitarian and caring effort and one that continues.

I would also like to add a word of thanks to Lions Clubs in New Zealand that has donated 6000 pairs of re-cycled spectacles to the Honiara based Referral Eye Hospital since 2015, including 20 boxes of spectacles that were received in the container that was off-loaded in Honiara on 2 April 2018 and are awaiting transfer to the Eye Hospital.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, as a frequent user to this path, it becomes a great concern from the public.

That more students and the public used jaywalking as the means to cross the four main land to fast catch a bus to reach their final destination.

Jaywalking is regularly taking place during the rushing hours in the morning and in the afternoon when student and worker going for work and student go to various school in Honiara and when they returned home.

Jaywalking is risky when you cross the road without walking the right way. You can be hit by any size of vehicle driving on the highway.

The practice of Jaywalking shows a person’s negligence to his/her safety on the road. For example, answering a cell phone call or listening to a headphone while jaywalking.

It is vital for students and the public to see that such acts can contribute to accidents.

It is very important to only cross on paths permitted by the Honiara city council, for instance the overhead bridge foot path.

Therefore, it is important to avoid jaywalking whenever possible because it is too dangerous.

Jerolie Navala Belabule,

USP Emalus Campus

DEAR EDITOR, the Island Sun newspaper on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, featured news of an interesting development by a group of enterprising youths from the Bethlehem Chapel Youth Ministry.

The group of young people, with initial help from Oxfam, have learned how to generate bio-gas from using leftover household waste food, chicken droppings, pig manure and other organic waste.

The youths propose producing bio-gas digesters that will enable methane gas to be used for cooking purposes and introducing their project to rural areas.

Utilizing ancient ideas of developing gas for practical household purposes, the youths are to be congratulated on their initiative and wished well in their plans to bring cheap heating technology to rural people.

Well done!

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT