BY BEN BILUA
GIZO

Day two of the National Healthy Setting Conference has revealed critical challenges within the Solomon Islands’ health system at the same time also sheds light on new opportunities that can strengthen health promotion across the country.

A series of presentations covered key areas including national program objectives, health indicators, vector-borne disease control, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), non-communicable disease interventions, nutrition, school meal programs, provincial health reports, and community-driven healthy setting initiatives.

Speakers highlighted pressing gaps in service delivery and program implementation, but also identified innovative approaches with potential to reshape the Healthy Settings strategy.

All findings will be consolidated into a single document to guide the development of a new national framework.

The Healthy Settings approach in Solomon Islands combines small-scale, community-led projects, such as village health committees, school-based curricula, and market hygiene initiatives with broader national activities that build capacity and share lessons.

The strategy aligns with the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Healthy Islands vision and continues to be advanced through conferences, policy reviews, and partner support.

Overall, the system is recognized as a policy-backed framework that emphasizes local leadership, cross-sector partnerships, and the integration of health promotion into everyday community life.

Ongoing efforts are focused on scaling up successful village and school models across provinces, while monitoring and updating policies to strengthen nationwide implementation.

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BY BEN BILUA
GIZO

More than 3,000 women across Solomon Islands and the Pacific converged at Saeragi Village, Western Province, for the 5th United Church Women Seminar, a weeklong event that brings together faith, fellowship, and cultural exchange.

The seminar attracted representatives from neighbouring countries including Australia, Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, and Fiji, further strengthening regional ties through the church.

Women engaged in a wide range of activities throughout the week such as church services, education and awareness sessions, cultural and traditional displays, as well as programs designed to build new friendships and networks.

Speaking at the opening, Bishop Ezekiel Pitakanji warmly welcomed the women, describing the gathering as a blessing for the host community.

“We give glory, honour to God for his guidance in the preparation and bringing you all safely here in Saeragi,” he said.

He acknowledged the challenges faced during preparations but expressed gratitude that the outcome had been overwhelmingly positive.

Bishop Pitakanji also reminded the women of the seminar’s theme, “Go and bear much fruit that will last,” emphasizing that the call is not just symbolic but a command to produce goodness that endures.

“The everchanging world has threatened the country’s growth and peace within communities as well as families. Mothers play an important role and responsibilities in nurturing families that are good,” he said.

The Saeragi gathering has been described by church leaders and participants as a milestone for the United Church Women’s Fellowship, which reaffirms their shared commitment to faith, family, and community development across Solomon Islands and the wider Pacific.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Guadalcanal Province has become the first province in Solomon Islands to pilot a national initiative that aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and climate resilience in schools.

This follows the official launch of the School-Based Disaster and Climate Risk Planning (SBRR/CCR) initiative at Mbalasuna Primary School, Guadalcanal Plains, on Monday, September 22, 2025.

The initiative is designed to enhance the resilience of schools and their surrounding communities by equipping education providers, school leaders, and students with necessary knowledge, tools, and systems to effectively prepare for and respond to disasters.

The initial rollout will cover 13 schools across 3 wards in Guadalcanal Province, serving as a model to create safer and more resilient learning environments throughout the Solomon Islands.

This program integrates disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into school planning and operations, aligning with both the national disaster management framework and climate resilience strategies.

“It is a privilege to stand here and launch this important initiative. Guadalcanal is proud to lead the way. These 13 schools will serve as models as we expand the program nationwide,” said Christopher Sakiri, Ministry of Education’s Deputy Secretary for Education Service.

The project is funded through generous support from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and implemented with the technical expertise of UNICEF.

The program aims to improve children’s access to climate-smart infrastructure and essential social services, including education, health, water and sanitation, child protection, and social support systems.

The current rollout focuses on Output 1.4 of the education sector’s climate resilience plan—specifically, the integration of climate change into school planning and institutional capacity building.

“This is not just about responding to disasters. It’s about preparing our children and schools to thrive despite the challenges brought by climate change,” Sakiri said.

As part of the launch, MEHRD unveiled the revised School-Based Disaster and Climate Resilience Handbook, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the National Disaster Management Office, and UNICEF.

The handbook offers practical steps for schools to assess risks, form disaster committees, run preparedness drills, and integrate resilience into their daily operations.

With Guadalcanal leading the pilot, Deputy Secretary Sakiri confirms that the program will be scaled up and introduced to other provinces in due course.

“We are proud that Guadalcanal is setting the pace. What we learn here will shape how we implement this program across the country.

“Together, we are building a future where our children are safer, smarter, and more prepared to face the challenges ahead,” Sakiri said.

UNICEF Solomon Islands Climate and Environment Specialist, Daeun Han, applauded the partnership between UNICEF, MEHRD, Guadalcanal Provincial Government, and KOICA, which made the initiative possible.

“Thanks to our partnership with KOICA, UNICEF is proud to support the Solomon Islands Government in building climate resilience for children and their communities.

“Children must not only learn about climate risks but also gain the skills to act on them. Embedding resilience into education empowers both schools and students to respond confidently to the growing challenges of climate change,” Han said.

Minister of Education for Guadalcanal Province, John Botsi highlighted the significance of the initiative, saying it marks a major step forward in building a climate-smart and disaster-ready education system in the Solomon Islands.

“Guadalcanal is honored to be the first to roll out this program. These 13 schools will serve as models as we expand this work nationwide,” Botsi said.

The launching was attended by key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), Guadalcanal Province, UNICEF, teachers from the schools involved, and community leaders.

Meanwhile, training for the 13 participating schools began immediately following the launch and will run over four days, led by education officers and facilitators.

Photos : UNICEF

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Solomon Islands Rangers have travelled to Torres Strait, a strait between Australia and the Melanesian Island of New Guinea as part of an ongoing exchange that aims to enhance conservation knowledge, foster sharing of skills, cultures, and experiences.

In a close collaboration with the Torres Strait Regional Authority rangers in the Land and Sea Management unit at Waibene and Boigu Islands, the focus was on aspects like land and sea management, sea-grass monitoring, invasive species control, and the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

The Solomon Islands Rangers team included; Albert Kwatelae, Technical Consultant, Edward Huitarau, Program Manager, Christina Raenaitoro – Finance Officer, Felix Naitoro -Vice President of the Board, and Eve Aihunu-Program Manager AVI-SI.

They spent two weeks on Waibene Island and had the opportunity to visit Goods Island, Friday Island, and Prince of Wales Island, followed by another week on Boigu Island.

The Solomon Islands Rangers gained valuable insights into the organisational structure, governance, and management practices of TSRA to better understand effective operational strategies.

They also learned from the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) about several areas related to project governance and integration management.

During the exchange trip to TSRA in August, the Project Manager for the Outer Islands Rangers, Ms Alice Manas, mentioned that although they come from a well-funded Rangers program, their goal was to experience and view things through different lens.

While the Solomon Islands Rangers may not be as fully resourced as TSRA in the Torres Strait, they are committed to make efforts to protect and preserve the community and bridge knowledge gaps by learning from the experiences and practices of the Torres Strait Regional Authority rangers.

The SI rangers gained new ideas, insights, and knowledge from the TSRA team, particularly during their visit to Boigu Island, which provided them with a profound sense of experience.

This exchange trip has opened up numerous avenues for growth, allowing rangers to enhance their skills and knowledge while acquiring new perspectives on their professional journeys.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Actions are needed to prevent the high rate of sexual abuse in Solomon Islands and we need to find ways to help girls, women and boys who have experienced sexual abuse.

Dr Koen Sevenants, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) MHPSS consultant and child psychologist, expressed this at the Advanced Training on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for Children and Families in Honiara.

The training is being held at the ANZ Building, United Nations (UN) Joint Presence Office Conference Room at Ranadi in East Honiara.

Dr Sevenants pointed out that as we know, there is a high rate of sexual abuse in Solomon Islands and it is actually regarded as one of the highest in the world.

He said from global statistics, about 12% of all women who declared that they have been sexually abused at a certain moment in their lives.

Dr Sevenants went on to state that in Solomon Islands, the percentage is 43%.

Henceforth, he emphasised the need for actions to prevent this and ways to help girls and women and boys who have been through this type of experience.

“In the Solomon Islands, we have 43%. So, we need both actions to prevent that, and we need to find ways to help girls and women and boys as well, of course, who have been through this type of experience,” he said.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Provincial Mental Health Coordinators have been attending the Advanced Training on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for Children and Families in Honiara.

The aim is to equip them with skills and knowledge to help young people and children with challenges such as domestic violence, inter-partner violence, violence against children, and outside pressures.

Speaking to the media in an interview yesterday at the ANZ Building Joint Presence Office Conference Room at Ranadi in East Honiara, was Trainer Dr Koen Sevenants, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) MHPSS Consultant and Child Psychologist.

He said the five-day training covers aspects of resilience, the capability to overcome bad things that happen in life.

“What makes a child resilient? How come that some children are less resilient than others? We know, for example, that resilient children have a positive self-image, and they also have a social support network,” he said.

He said that the other topic is “child development”.

“What do children need to learn on an emotional level while they are growing up? We are doing this for the Provincial Mental Health Coordinators because they are the ones who are serving the people who are trying to help families with emotional difficulties that they face.

“So, we, as mental health professionals, want to help families to make them aware of what children need to learn and to stimulate that,” Dr Sevenants said.

He said that the training is a starting step the Solomon Islands should take to build a sustainable community-based mental health support system for children and families.

“We all have difficulties, periods in which we feel down, in which we are less patient, in which maybe we go into too much drinking or smoking, so none of us is perfect. Yet, there seems to be a big stigma in talking about it, right? And schools need to not only focus on academic achievements, on good scores and so on, they need to be there for the well-being of children as well,” he said.

He said that it would be good if there were a significant investment from the authorities, from the government, into people who can assist young people with overcoming the bad things that happen in their lives.

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