BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Commodities Export Marketing Authority (CEMA) continues to work with donor partners to support the government to enable its operations in the country.

Simon Chottu CEMA director told Island Sun that opening new centres and building infrastructures to enable CEMA to roll out its services is one of the areas CEMA is working toward achieving.

“Provide training due to limited funds or assisting us with funds to ensure that we connect to our farmers and people,” he said.

Going forward Chottu said CEMA will push to reach remote areas such as Temotu, weather cost in Guadalcanal, and weather cost in Makira.

He said that there are a good number of farmers that CEMA and private sectors need to reach out to them.

“CEMA is not giving up but making sure to reach these farmers,” said Chottu.

In terms of geographical separation from the ocean, Chottu said that it is CEMA’s vision to have its ship.

“One that CEMA pushes towards is to have its ship and try to reach out to donor partners and government with some paper works to request for budget to secure a ship or established MoU with the shipping company to operate CEMA routes,” he said.

“CEMA belongs to the people. It is not a profitable entity. It is to support the economy,” said Chottu.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Women in Tulagi in the Central Islands Province say they are happy to see their new hospital completed.

Spokeswoman Anne Samora shared their profound gratitude to Island Sun during the handover of the newly renovated Tulagi Hospital last week in Tulagi.

“In terms of the New Hospital, we are really happy, we thank God, the Ministry of Health who worked with the province to build this hospital for our people here at Ngella and Savo Russell,” said Samora.

“It will help us especially when a member of our is sick, especially our children, we will come to the hospital which is now closer to us rather than going to Honiara which is too far,” she said.

She said that some of the challenges they faced before the hospital was renovated to its current state was travelling to Honiara which was costly for them when their children were sick or when the mothers got pregnant.

She also recalled that sometimes old people lose their lives and sometimes recover.

“So now since we have a good hospital, we will have doctors and more nurses to attend to our issues, operations will be done here, good news for us the women,” she said.

“It cost us a lot of money to travel to Honiara, especially for us at the grassroots level where we did not receive income every day but depended on market and gardening,” said Samora.

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By Loretta B Manele

Australia is redoubling its efforts in infrastructure projects in Solomon Islands.

Rod Hilton, Australia’s high commissioner said he is pleased to say that Australia is redoubling its efforts to make sure that more infrastructure projects go to Solomon Islands’ companies.

Hilton raised this when he spoke at the “Women in Infrastructure” Breakfast Forum last week.

He said for them, success in their infrastructure partnership with Solomon Islands is not just what they build but in how they build it.

He expressed that they see success as having more Solomon Island companies building infrastructure.

“We see success as having more skilled workers here in Solomon Islands part of that building effort. And we definitely see success as having more Solomon Island local jobs as part of that effort. Locally led development just makes sense.”

He stated that it is about infrastructure and its ongoing maintenance, but it is also about economic growth and jobs.

Hilton said Australia has been working with local companies for the last three years.

Under this partnership, he added that they have delivered training and mentoring to local suppliers and contractors, big to small, so that they are ready to manage and deliver infrastructure to a high standard.

In relation, Hilton said they have recently announced 500 TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) scholarships for Solomon Islanders which will support 10 rural training centres here in Solomon Islands to deliver practical skills to young people, including women.

He also mentioned that their infrastructure program and the Australia Pacific Training College together with the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) have also taken nearly 40 young women through women-only construction and solar power certification programs.

To top that off, Hilton said last week, he was honoured to announce Australia’s newest investment which is a $49 million investment to strengthen women’s leadership, economic empowerment and to end violence against women over the next three years.

He said through these initiatives, they are bringing more local economic development, more skilled workers and more jobs to deliver on what communities and the government need.

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-Ministry of health announces arrival of new supplies following 3 weeks of scarcity at hospital

-Shipment for provinces this week: Ministry

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

Blood bags are back in stock and are in use, the ministry of health (MHMS) announced yesterday.

This follows three weeks of no blood bags available at the national referral hospital (NRH).

But, the shortage was felt two weeks prior, a senior doctor at the NRH told Island Sun on condition of anonymity on Monday, adding that a month earlier hospital authority had been informed of the dwindling supply of blood bags.

Despite this, hospital authority did not respond and three weeks ago the last blood bag was used, and people who came later to donate blood for their loved ones were told to go and pay blood bags from commercial pharmacies, the doctor said.

A citizen who requested to be called only by his first name, John, told Island Sun two weeks ago that he and his siblings were told they had to purchase their own blood bags when they went to donate blood for their mother who was suffering with cancer.

A nurse who was present confirmed John’s story but asked to not be identified.

“Since last week, we have run out of blood bags,” the nurse said.

Yesterday’s announcement by MHMS is bound to bring relief but the NRH doctor warns that this cycle of continuously facing shortages at the NRH will go on if the hospital authority carries on with its ‘reactive system’.

“Hospital authority are not proactive, reacting only to problems,” the doctor said.

“Therefore, under the current regime, the hospital will continue to face shortages of medicines and accessories, and public will continue to suffer during the shortage period, then hospital authorities will react and order new stock and make media announcements, then the cycle repeats when these new stock finishes,” the doctor said.

Yesterday’s MHMS media statement explained that the blood bag shortage had resulted from “a specification error during the procurement process that affected reduced blood supplies over the past two weeks”.

“Following successful discussions with the supplier and with now the replenishment of blood bags, routine services including blood collection, transportation, safe transfusions, and blood donation drives are now back to normal, providing essential support for patients across the Solomon Islands.

“The availability of these supplies is critical for the well-being of individuals who rely on blood transfusions due to medical conditions, surgeries, or emergencies,” the MHMS statement said.

Meanwhile, the MHMS statement said blood bags and other medicine supplies are also bound for other health centres around the country.

This implies that the problem of blood bag shortage is not restricted to Honiara alone.

“In addition to the delivery of blood bags, other general medical supplies are being prepared to be dispatched to several provincial health centres this week, to ensure continued access to healthcare throughout the country,” the MHMS statement said.

“Supplies will be dispatched this week to the following health facilities: Totongo Rural Health Centre, Nila in the Shortlands, Tingoa Area Health Centre, Bonala Nurse Aid Post, Pelau Nurse Aid Post, Tulagi Hospital, Kirakira Hospital, Taheramo Area Health Centre, Buala Hospital, Kilu’ufi Hospital, Malu’u Hospital and Seghe Hospital.”

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By Loretta B Manele

Women play an important role in society thus society cannot be without what women can bring to the table.

Kristine Marsh, public affairs officer from the US embassy stressed on this while speaking at International Women’s Day (IWD) event last week at the National Museum Auditorium.

She said one fact is certain and that is we cannot afford to be without the insights and input of women into our free-market economies and democratic societies.

Marsh voiced that women from all generations and backgrounds have been integral to the prosperity and productivity of our economies and processes around the world.

“Welcoming women as full partners allows societies to harness the strength of 100% of us.”

Marsh stated that global competition is too strong for us to shut anyone out, hence we must constantly focus on taking down the barriers that put women at a disadvantage and give all our efforts to have women participate on the basis of merit, side by side with men.

She pointed out that women have so much to share in a variety of fields and platforms as history has proven, however it is not enough to empower women.

In this regard, Marsh said we must all keep in mind the need to build the confidence of those who are new to leadership and other roles.

“That’s why the US Embassy here in Solomon Islands also has this programme, Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, which is one way that we are supporting Solomon Islands women to be leaders in entrepreneurship.”

Marsh added that the need for support also points to the importance of men as allies and advocates.

She also expressed that women are not just helpers but doers, changemakers and bosses.

“A dear Solomon Islands friend of mine noted that in the Bible, there is a common reference to women as helpers, but she said that in the U.S, it is more than support, it is someone who really adds enormously to any given moment, who makes a big impact on that experience or situation, and in other words, women are more than helpers.”

She highlighted that today and every day, the daughters of Solomon Islands ignite the dreams and develop the character of our next generation.

“Your contributions to excellence are worthy of praise and recognition now and forever.”

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By Loretta B Manele

Today, very few Solomon Islands women fill in jobs in the country’s infrastructure industry and normalising women in this industry should be the goal.

Namoi Kaluae, SICCI (Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry) chairlady spoke about this at the “Women in Infrastructure” breakfast forum last Friday at the Heritage Park Hotel.

She expressed that it is crucial for us to continue to advocate for policies that support women, promote training programmes and create inclusive workplaces.

Kaluae added that empowerment must come from all levels and everyone has a role to play.

“Speaking of empowerment, we also explored whether things are getting easier for women in infrastructure.

Are we at a point where we can normalise women in this field or do we still need to advocate and lobby for more representation?”

Kaluae said she believes that normalisation should indeed be our goal.

She stated that it should be a norm for us to have women working in the infrastructure sector and not just an exemption.

Addressing young women from the infrastructure sector at the forum, Kaluae said their commitment and voice to empower women in the sector is invaluable.

“Let us keep the momentum we’ve built today and carry it forward, advocating for each other, celebrating and most importantly, championing each other’s successes and ensuring that we create a brighter future for generations to come.”

Kaluae noted that they are part of a movement, a collective effort to uplift women in infrastructure and this should now be a legacy.

“There is no limit to what women can do.”

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