BY SAMIE WAIKORI

A team from World Vision Vanuatu is in the country on an exchange visit to learn from Melanesian Rural Market Innovation Driven program under World Vision known as the “Mermaid project.”

The team consisted of five members and led by the Manager for Climate Resilience Livelihood Portfolio World Vision Vanuatu, Ms Florence Bule.

In an interview upon their visit to attend a Mermaid Food Fair program at Gwouna’oa in Malaita province this week, she said they privileged to learn from Mermaid project World Vision Solomon.

She said World Vision Vanuatu has implemented similar Mermaid project to that in Solomon Islands and they are working with 8 communities.

Bule said the visit is to learn from how Mermaid Team Solomon has work with their communities. This is on supports provided on farming, saving and how they engage with youths under the project.

She said the team had a good interaction with Gwouna’oa community during the visit and a stand-out thing they learned was how the community put into action what they learned from the program.

Bule said they saw farming activity and projects such as piggery and poultry implemented by the community saving club through the grant assistance of the project.

She said the Mermaid project in Vanuatu is also on the same path, but unlike Solomon, they are yet to go into the small grant assistance.

According to Ms Bule, they’ve learned a lot from dialogue with community of Gwouna’oa especially on how they implement and benefit from the grant.

She said the visit is a bonus for them and from ideas learned, they will go back and put together to strengthen their work with Mermaid communities in Vanuatu.

“As we will go back, we will try and contextualize what we have learned and make it suitable to work with our people,” Bule said.

Also, she said the Mermaid project Vanuatu is yet to organize a food fair program and their experiences from the food fair program by Mermaid Solomon, they could organize similar event.

Bule said this will make farmers feel appreciated and proud of what they produce.

The team left Auki yesterday to Honiara and will leave Honiara to back to Port Villa, Vanuatu soon. 

By EDDIE OSIFELO

SOLOMON Islands National University (SINU) Vice Chancellor, Professor Transform Aqorau, has responded to recent allegations of corruption surrounding the award of a contract for the construction of the Faculty of Nursing Classroom and Laboratory.

The accusations were made by former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour, and Immigration, George Kosui, on social media.

Kosui had claimed that the contract was influenced by Pro Vice-Chancellor Corporate, Shadrach Fanega.

However, in an email leaked on social media, VC Aqorau communicated with the Solomon Islands National University Student Association (SINUSA) President, Ernest Kera, addressing the matter.

In his email, Aqorau acknowledged the multilayered tender process and emphasized that it would be difficult to manipulate the final outcome.

He highlighted that the student representative to the Council was present throughout the selection process, which involved presentations from four different companies.

Aqorau explained that the decisive factor in the Council’s decision was the response to a crucial question: “If Government is slow with the funds, will they be able to still complete the project?” Three of the companies (AJ Enterprise, JED Enterprise, Tropical Glass & Aluminum) provided responses indicating they couldn’t complete the project under such circumstances, while one company expressed confidence in their ability to do so.

He further stated that there were diverse opinions within the Council, and he denied claims that Fanega had unduly influenced the awarding of the contract. Aqorau emphasized that members had different views and preferences, which is expected in a committee setting.

Regarding the ongoing investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Aqorau expressed his willingness to cooperate fully and disclosed that the contract was co-signed by the Ministries of Education and Finance. He did not rule out the possibility of bribes but expressed doubts about claims that corruption influenced the final decision, given the rigorous multilayered process and the composition of the tender committee.

Aqorau reaffirmed his commitment to promoting good governance within the university and urged the next generation to embrace the values of ethical leadership, critical thinking, and good governance.

The situation continues to evolve as authorities investigate the matter.

By Indy Maealasia

The Meriblouse Initiative, a Honiara-based Papua New Guinea women’s group handed over gifts to the National Referral Hospital’s (NRH) Oncology Unit on Wednesday.

A laptop, projector and stand banner were gifted to the ward in an effort to assist them in raising awareness to tackle cancer.

Upon receiving the gifts, Oncology Ward’s Coordinator, Dr Andrew Soma acknowledged the help the Initiative have given towards the unit in the previous year.

With the kind gesture of gifts, he explained how these items would be of great assistance towards their fight against cancer.

“These are the important items we wanted for a while. Sometimes we borrow laptops or projector before we could carry out awareness, other times, we just head out and only have discussions. This will be an important part of the prevention awareness since awareness is more affordable compared to treatments,” Soma said.

Addressing the staff of the Oncology unit, Meriblouse Initiative’s founder, Kathy Havea spoke on how the initiative hope the gifted items would greatly assist them.

“We hope these will help you to prevent cancer and to reduce the number of breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer as some of us have also lost loved ones to this disease,” Mrs Havea added.

The Meriblouse Initiative was formed in 2022 with the primary goal to spread awareness on breast cancer.

For the past year they raised $20,000 which was used to purchase the items gifted to the unit.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

Bemobile is teaming up with Seif Ples in a significant partnership. CEO Devan Kula has signed an agreement to provide Bemobile subscribers with toll-free access to the number 132.

This partnership is all about recognising the outstanding work of both organisations, especially Seif Ples’ support for survivors of gender-based violence. It’s part of the Child Fund Impact Project, which aims to strengthen crisis response services for women, children, and youth in the Solomon Islands.

CEO Kula said Bemobile has a zero-tolerance policy on violence and is happy to partner with Seif Ples to promote their work in protecting the people especially victims and survivors.

“We are proud to offer this support to you and we look forward to working with you in other future projects,” Kula said.

Meanwhile Seif Ples Centre Manager Brightlyn Beauty than Bemobile for their support towards them.

She explained that Seif Ples had one project with Child Fund and one of the project’s key goals is to expand access to the Seif Ples Helpline, especially in rural areas. Previously, victims using Bemobile networks couldn’t make free calls to the existing service provided by Solomon Telekom Company Limited. But now, Bemobile will offer toll-free service on line 132, absolutely free of charge.

In return, Seif Ples will cover the one-time installation cost of the toll-free service, give Bemobile shoutouts in their activities, and provide valuable training on gender-based violence to Bemobile staff.

This partnership is a significant achievement and a step forward in promoting safety, protection, and recovery for survivors of gender-based violence. It allows more people to report cases of abuse and seek support.

Seif Ples has been operating a national 24/7 helpline since 2015, initially exclusive to Telekom users. Now, with Bemobile’s support, this lifeline becomes more accessible.

Child Fund is providing financial support for this project, ensuring its success. The collaboration will continue for 24 months, with the possibility of renewal in the future. Together, Seif Ples, Bemobile, and Child Fund are making a positive impact in the Solomon Islands and beyond.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

The Provincial Police Commanders (PPCs) and Departmental Directors of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) successfully concluded a three-day conference in the capital, Honiara, on September 13, 2023.

This significant gathering brought together PPCs from various provinces and Departmental Directors of the RSIPF to strategize and prepare for two major upcoming events, the Pacific Games 2023 (PG23) and the National General Election 2024 (NGE24).

The conference commenced earlier in the week, with the honor of an official opening program presided over by the Minister of Police, National Security, and Correctional Service, Honorable Anthony Veke. The theme for this event was “Strengthening and Promoting Policing Operational Capability and Capacity in Partnership with Stakeholders and Communities for a Safer Solomon Islands through Shared Experience.”

Commissioner Mostyn Mangau said the conference’s central focus was on enhancing and refining the operational work plans and priorities for implementation during PG23 and NGE24. This meticulous planning is vital to guarantee the safety and security of Solomon Islands during these pivotal events.

He called upon law-abiding citizens to collaborate closely with the RSIPF.

“Let us all come together to make PG23 and NGE24 truly memorable occasions, not only for our children but also to showcase to the world our ability to successfully organize such large-scale events in the future.” Mangau said.

Mr. Mangau’s appeal continued with a call for a united effort to ensure these two major events remain crime-free.

He said public need to work together hand in hand to safeguard the peace and security of our nation during these critical moments.