BY CHRIS ALEX

The people of Takwa in Lau Baelelea Constituency have celebrated a transformative milestone with the recent opening of the newly renovated maternity ward at Takwa Rural Health Center, a development described as a vital lifeline for remote communities in the northern region of Malaita.

The upgrade was made possible through the leadership of Member of Parliament for Lau Baelelea Constituency, Ben Maenuu, and the constituency office.

The facility will now serve thousands of people in the northern region of Malaita, offering essential primary healthcare ranging from routine checkups to emergency maternal care.

Speaking during the event, Nurse in Charge at Kwailabesi Clinic expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of expectant mothers across the constituency. She recalled the challenges women previously faced, with nighttime deliveries often depending on the dim glow of mobile phone torches, if available.

“When complications arose, families had no choice but to beg truck owners for rides over rough roads to distant hospitals like Malu’u or Kilufi. It was often a matter of life and death.

“No more. This ward means safe births, skilled care, and hope for our mothers and babies. On behalf of every mum in Lau Baelelea, we are deeply thankful,” she expressed.

According to Eddie Kairi, Takwa Rural Health Center is one of more than 300 rural health facilities across the Solomon Islands providing free services such as immunizations, maternal care, and child health checks.

With 82 percent of Solomon Islanders living in rural areas, such facilities are crucial in bridging health service gaps, reducing long travel times, and saving lives in communities facing challenges like limited transport and the growing impacts of climate change.

The renovation of the maternity ward is expected to significantly strengthen primary healthcare in the region, ensuring safer deliveries and better health outcomes for mothers and children.

The community has hailed the development as a step forward in building a stronger, healthier Solomon Islands one ward, one ambulance, one step at a time.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

The 54th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leader’s communique lays emphasis on “gender equality”.

Under the headline “Gender Equality”, it states that leaders recommitted to leading national and regional advocacy efforts for gender equality as aligned to political commitments in the revitalised Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration (PLGED).

This includes championing the engagement of men and boys in transforming social norms to advance women’s rights.

In relation, the communique stated that recognising cross-sectorial significances, leaders also endorsed Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) as well as the institutionalisation of Early Childhood Development (ECD) as standing agenda items within the PCD (People Centered Development) Thematic Area on the Leaders’ Agenda while also taking into account the ongoing work on the RRA (Review of Regional Artitechture).

To add on, as stated, leaders also support the mainstreaming of GESI in all key regional policy priorities with the inclusion of climate financing, governance, implementation structures of the PRF and the inclusion of women’s voices in peace and security dialogues and decision-making processes.

The 54th PIF leader’s communique notes that the 54th PIF leaders also welcomed the Pacific’s global leadership, being the only region to host human rights treaty body reporting of the 84th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC84) in Samoa in 2020 and the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the CEDAW Committee in Fiji in April 2025.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Guadalcanal Province has taken the lead in a new national initiative that aims to make schools safer and more resilient to growing threats of climate change and natural disasters.

Yesterday, at a vibrant ceremony was held at Mbalasuna Primary School on the Guadalcanal Plains where the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), Guadalcanal Province, and UNICEF officially launched the School-Based Disaster and Climate Resilience (SBDCR) Planning Program for 13 schools across three wards in the province.

The launch was attended by key stakeholders, including the Minister of Education for Guadalcanal Provincial Government, John Botsi, MEHRD Deputy Secretary for Education Services, Christopher Sakiri, and UNICEF’s Programme Specialist for Climate and Environment, Daeun Han.

The program, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and implemented with technical guidance from UNICEF, is designed to strengthen the capacity of schools, teachers, and communities to prepare for and respond to disasters while adapting to climate-related risks.

In his keynote address, Minister for 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 honoured to be the first to roll out this program. These 13 schools will serve as models as we expand this work nationwide,” he said.

Botsi praised the strong partnership between MEHRD, the Guadalcanal Provincial Government, UNICEF, and KOICA, noting that the collaboration reflects a shared vision for resilient, inclusive, and future-focused education.

The launch also unveiled a newly revised SBDCR Handbook – a practical tool designed to guide school leaders, teachers, and communities in assessing risks, establishing disaster committees, conducting drills, and integrating resilience into school culture.

Minister Botsi welcomed the initiative, emphasizing the critical role of schools in safeguarding children and communities.

“Schools are at the heart of our villages. When they are safe and prepared, our communities are too,” he said.

Over the next four days, school leaders and education officers will undergo training on implementing the SBDCR approach in their schools. MEHRD confirms that the program will eventually be scaled up to schools across other provinces.

Solomon Islands remains highly vulnerable to climate change impacts and natural hazards, including cyclones, floods, and earthquakes. Education services are often disrupted during disasters, putting children’s safety and learning at risk.

With this new initiative, stakeholders are hopeful that integrating disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation directly into school planning will lead to long-term improvements in both education outcomes and community resilience.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) has relocated to a new office at the National Stadium in East Honiara.

Their relocation comes following the tragic incident last Wednesday, where their office at Vavaya Ridge was destroyed by fire.

In a press conference yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SIEC, Jasper Highwood Anisi thanks the national government for swift action to offer them a space to continue with their work.

The space will be used as a temporary office from now until they find and move to a new office.

Anisi said in terms of their recovery plans, they have gone a few steps ahead in securing this space for their operations.

He added that as part of the recovery plan, SIEC will ensure they replace equipment lost in the fire, and secure temporary office arrangement that is suitable to run elections.

Also highlighted is that they will mobilize support from the government and partners to restore full capacity.

The CEO furthered that the plan will run in parallel with their 2028 national joint election work-plan, as they have election preparation ahead.

“Nothing will be on-paused, we still moving,” he said.

Meanwhile, Asini said since the incident last week, SIEC is yet to come up with the cause of fire.

“What caused the fire is still unknown, but the matter is before the police for investigation.

“The police are looking at every possible cause. But if someone burned down the building for intentional purpose, it would amount to criminal offense.

“At the moment, the police are looking at the causes of the fire. We will wait for the outcome of the investigation,” he said.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (CEO) assures that it stands committed to its electoral programmes despite the fire setback experienced last week.

SIEC Chief Executive Officer, Jasper Highwood Anisi expressed this in a press conference yesterday, highlighting that the setback won’t have disruptions on their mandate to deliver election programmes.

“The SIEC remains committed to its full programme and work leading to the 2028 national joint election.

“And our preparatory plans, timetables, timelines, and activities continue as scheduled,” he said.

The CEO explained that this includes an updated voter registration for 2028 election, civic and voter education initiatives, and their legal and procedural reforms.

He added that SIEC is working on its electoral reforms, and it should be brought before parliament next year.

Anisi noted that this will allow time for the SIEC civic team to go around and inform the nation about potential changes to the Electoral Act 2018.

He reiterated SIEC’s commitment to deliver on its programs and operation despite the recent fire incident.

“In terms of looking forward, our message today is simple. The Electoral Commission stands strong, our work continues, and our commitment to deliver our constitutional mandate – which is credible election in 2028 is unchanged.

“The fire is a setback, but also an opportunity to rebuild stronger.

“We invite the public to work with us, to trust the process and to stand behind the institution that safeguards the people’s voice,” he said.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC) has revealed a proposal to build a permanent office in Honiara.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jasper Highwood Anisi spoke about this at a press conference yesterday when giving an update on SIEC’s work following the fire incident at the office at Vavaya Ridge last week.

Reflecting on the incident, a big lesson SIEC learned is that they are without a permanent home.

In this regard, Anisi said they want to have a permanent home as soon as possible so they can comfortably deliver the 2028 joint elections.

“As an institution that is at the height of our democracy, it is vital SIEC secures a well-resource office to serve the people,” the CEO said.

He calls on the national government, development partners, and the public to support SIEC in having a permanent office by 2027.

In the meantime, Anisi said they are working on a plan for a new complex building.

“At the moment, we’ve secured engineers and architectures for the design of the new building,” he said.

Anisi added that as long as the work is done, they will know the cost of the building and there is also land that is ready to accommodate the building.

Moreover, he said SIEC also plans to carry out a functional review, as captured in their plan last year.

“Currently, we only have 29 staffs, who ran the joint election in 2023. They were established under the Public Service.

“We want to increase that number to 50 plus, because there is a huge task to operationalize joint elections across the country,” Anisi said.

The CEO said if the new office complex is built, it will be big enough to cater to more than 50 staff.

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