BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

STUDYING Mandarin at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) has helped Robinson Minevaleke adapt quickly to Taiwan lifestyle and culture.

He is a recipient of the Taiwan’s International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF) Scholarship and is in Taiwan, currently doing his first year of study at the School of Medicine, I-Shou University (ISU).

He spoke highly of the Mandarin Course offered at the SINU which he himself enrolled in the second semester of 2017.

“The Mandarin classes at SINU not only helped me communicate with the locals in Taiwan but also helped me to quickly adapt to Taiwan lifestyle and culture. Thank you SINU mandarin class (Ms. Kuei Mi),” Minevaleke said.

He said the reasons he wanted to enroll in the Mandarin Class at SINU was because it is one of the most common international language spoken by many people.

“And to be able to communicate proper, one must learn the language.”

Minevaleke said communication difficulties he faced while working in health care sector (both public and private), especially with Asian clients, motivated him to learn Mandarin.

“Having a lot of Chinese, Taiwanese and other Asian people doing business or visiting, I think mandarin language is also important for communication in the country.

“Besides being one of the recipients of the ICDF scholarship 2017, I needed to learn Mandarin to help me communicate in Taiwan. In addition, apart from being my passion to learn new languages, I often travel overseas so I need that to communicate with Mandarin speakers or impress my overseas friends.”

Reflecting on his Mandarin Class at SINU, Minevaleke said he had learnt a lot at SINU Mandarin class.

“Apart from learning the Mandarin language, I learnt about the Asian (Taiwan) culture, food, the people, the lifestyle, Mandarin songs and so forth. I learnt the common basic communication skills, Mandarin characters and the uniqueness of the Mandarin language itself as compared to English.”

What do you like the most in the Mandarin class?

Minevaleke said what he liked most about the studying Mandarin was the uniqueness of the Mandarin language itself as compared to English.

“A word in Mandarin can be represented in different characters and can be said in different tones and each time it meant different things altogether. Also, I like the fact that every day I learnt different words and different characters, their meanings and where and when to use them.

“And not only that but learning Taiwan culture and lifestyle in class was fun.”

He said Mandarin is useful because it helped him to communicate with the locals in Taiwan thus enhancing his learning and adaptation to Taiwanese culture.

“Before taking up the program, I cannot communicate in Mandarin. I used to use sign language with my clients at work. After participating in the Mandarin program, I now can be able to properly communicate with Mandarin speaker. Now I can do more talking than sign language as compared to before attending the Mandarin program. I must say I also understand better the Taiwanese (Asian) culture and lifestyle.”

Minevaleke noted that learning the Chinese characters and tone (sound) was difficult but gets better with time and practice.

“It becomes interesting once you passed that,” he added.

As such, Minevaleke recommends Solomon Islanders to take up Mandarin Class at SINU because of the benefits of this global language.

He said Solomon Islands have a good population of Chinese community and visitors thus, learning Mandarin might be helpful for communication and business purposes.

“I would encourage Solomon Islanders to take advantage of SINU Mandarin program because it is much easier to learn Mandarin back home than overseas. In SINU, you have Mandarin teacher that can communicate or teach in both English and pidgin and very thorough and patient with students in comparison to taking Mandarin classes overseas where it is usually expensive and a totally different experience.”

Now a student in Taiwan Minevaleke sees himself becoming a fluent Mandarin speaker and writer.

He said one of his favorite moments in the SINU Mandarin Class was creating and dramatizing role play in Mandarin with his classmates especially the Chinese valentine (Qiqiao festival) based on a romantic story of two lovers, Zhinü and Niulang.

BY BEN BILUA

THE growing number of fast money schemes is leaving a similarly growing trail of hundreds of victims in state of despair and guilt.

The popular Charity fund, World Venture and few other schemes target the average and below-average income earners, who are drawn by the prospect of attaining instant riches.

In recent revelations, some of these fast money schemes were shown to be driven by individuals, some of whom are highly respected citizens of the country.

In an interview with this paper, outspoken leader Mr Samson Faisi said hundreds of people have fallen victim to these schemes and it is time government and regulators step in and address it.

“I wish to call upon the police and Central Bank of Solomon Islands to do something before more people will suffer.

“I suggest the government through responsible regulators to establish a clear law that define such money making schemes illegal,” he said.

Faisi said he came across an incident in early 2017 when a leader of one the schemes, World Venture, recruited new members with SBD1,000 membership fee to buy a bus that would generate revenue and shared among the members.

He told this paper that about 40 members submitted their contributions – and that was the last they heard of it.

Faisi alleged that the money had been misused by the leaders of World Venture and members are still waiting to collect refunds.

He said leaders of the World Venture have gone silent leaving members to question what would become of the scheme.

Faisi said members are calling for the leaders of World Venture to refund their contributions especially in this time of the year where important family commitments like school fees are pressing hard on the family budget and pocket.

He said the incident shows that there is a need to legislate a law that would prohibit and at the same time penalise such schemes in the country.

Faisi also said that the general public must to be aware of such pyramid schemes to avoid spending their hard earn savings on the deceitful schemes.

On the same note, he calls on the leaders of World Venture to explain to the disgruntled members their contributions.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

THE Ministry of Home Affairs is getting prepared for a big 40^th Anniversary celebration this year for the country being halfway to eighty (80) years.

Speaking to Island Sun, Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary George Palua reminded that the celebration will coincide at the same time with two important events and they are the Melanesian Arts Festival and the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) Leaders summit.

“The Ministry is looking forward to hosting the 40^th Anniversary of Solomon Islands as it will be coinciding with these two big events,” said the PS.

“Solomon Islands Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has appointed us Permanent Secretaries (PS’s) of Ministries such as from the Tourism and Foreign Affairs to organise these events.”

“For this 40^th Anniversary, we want to include everyone in the country for the big celebration.”

The actual dates for the other two big events apart from the 40^th Anniversary is yet to be known.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

LEADERS Education Authorities Project (LEAP) an initiative of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) has strived to achieve its outcomes.

The outcome has the combination of long terms, short terms and medium terms outcomes.

Speaking during the officially opening of the weeklong new school leaders and Provincial Education Authorities (PEA) mentors workshop through LEAP on Monday, Permanent Secretary Frances Rodie said LEAP has striven to achieve its outcomes however, the successfulness in achieving the outcomes cannot be predicted.

He said despite the early predictions, they have confidence to have it successful through group comprised of Solomon Islands Fellowship of Faithful Mentors, and experts from the Institute of Education of the University of the University of the South Pacific and University of Auckland.

“The two experts will do whatever is possible in the next two and half to upskill selected new school leaders and PEA’s in the specific areas identified so that the outcomes can be achieved successfully,” Rodie said.

He adds the combination outcomes are improved literacy learnings, provincial education authority management of leadership of and support to schools and improved school leadership.

Also improved skills and motivation of existing teachers, schools authority managers lead teaching and learning in schools, improved parent body support for schools.

PS Rhodie said the short term outcomes includes provincial education authorities support and supervise school managers and teachers to improve leadership and teaching, school leaders support improved teaching , schools and provincial education authorities engage parent bodies.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

CITIZENS in Honiara say that the road condition in the city is an area affecting the new bus routes enforced now being blamed for causing delay for public travelling.

Speaking on behalf of locals, Mr Moffat Iro said that complaints from the new bus routes enforced is short sighted as there are other contributing factors to the problem.

He said continuous road works on maintenance along the city main roads is one cause of delay for the timing movement of vehicles as well.

“We cannot say school students and so will be affected to their timing because of delay from public buses because timing of movement is each and everyone’s responsibility to reach their destinations. In fact, maybe normal timing movements should now be changed,” said Iro.

“Honiara City Council (HCC) is acting in a way of bringing about change to push us forward as we cannot always be in the same situation.

“If monitoring on the long run but the enforcement is not contributing to any changes then we might call for changing it but in the meantime, let us monitor the new routes enforced first.

“I would like to call on the National Government and Ministry responsible for maintenance and so along the main city roads to improve them well to assist timing movement of vehicles.”

The new bus routes were enforced by HCC during last month.

Hon Andrew Mua the HCC Mayor during their press conference over the new enforcement said that they are not thinking of making any changes to the system.

“HCC under its Business Ordinance and conditions aim to make sure that operators comply with the compliances on the conditions of the business licence,” said the Mayor.

For the new bus routes, a public bus terminates at the Central Market and follows the same circuit turning back for White River if it starts from there.

A public bus cannot continue travelling from the Central Market to Kukum before heading back westwards to the Central Market.

Buses that start travelling from the Central Market to Naha must follow the same circuit as well.

Another route is starting from the Central Market going all the way to King George VI before terminating and rotating the same circuit.

“Public bus transportation travelling beyond KGVI is ones decision that HCC cannot decide on because beyond Burns Creek is outside of our jurisdiction,” said the Mayor.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

CLOSING submissions on the case against men charged with harbouring unlawful non-citizens will be made on February 7 at the Honiara Magistrate Court.

The hearing of evidence was concluded after the defence called their last witness – one of the accused on the case Sing Loh Jing.

The incident occurred in 2016 at Metuai camp, SKT Wawasan logging company at Shortland Islands.

The three men Sing Loh Jing, John Mamiaong and Charles Takule were charged for harbouring unlawful non-citizens while the company SKT Wawasan was charged for employing non-citizens.

Police alleged that the logging company employed four men from Bougainville as security guards at the camp.

Mr Sing Loh Jing in his evidence denied being involved in harbouring the four men or have known of any arrangement of how they Bougainville men were brought over to the camp.

He also denied authorising company outboard motor engine for bringing the men to Metuai Camp.

He said it is the company which is responsible for employing the security guards and not him.

He said that when he was interviewed by immigration officers he did not fully understand the questions asked and just said what he thought of on that day of interview.

He told the court that there was no interpreter at that time of interview and because of him not understanding pidgin and English well he just responded yes to some other questions asked.

The trial ended yesterday and defence lawyer asked for seven days adjournment on the case for closing submission.

Office of the Director Public Prosecution represents the crown while a lawyer from Rano and Company is representing all the accused in court.