Dear Editor, I would like to write in response to an article sighted on Solomon Star issue no 6909 on May 18, which carries the heading “Honiara Temotu Nurses”.
As the writer Leonard Meneseng rightly stated in his heading “Honiara Temotu Nurses”, he is no mistaken as they are Temotuan who lived in Honiara and never wanted to go back to the province and serve the people of Temotu province.
Mr Leonard, I am saddened by your article as it shows you don’t understand the issue of prospecting in Temotu province and who are the pro-miners and anti-miners.
Your article will never benefit the People of Temotu particularly Nende.
And even now you serve other provinces other than your province and think you guys can do better for Temotu province.
I can assure you Leonard, that the people of Nende even the very ones who drop out from school and the ones who never attended school at all, the very people who are just home dwellers and farmers in Nende are very wise and smart.
For your information, the people of Temotu do really appreciate the support of your highly praised company “Eight South Investment Ltd” with the support they gave to Lata Hospital and of course your t’ shirts on International Nurses Day.
But the people of Temotu are not blind to see a support with hooks attached.
It’s simple Leonard, after prospecting, mining will be the next phase.
It’s simple Leonard, wisdom is not studied in any university in the world.
We the people of Temotu are not blind and to say only minority people are in the anti- mining side is totally wrong and far from truth.
The truth is all of Temotu and majority of Nende people are anti-miners.
Only a few handful are pro-miners.
The simple sense the grassroot dwellers have is “If the miners took all our top soil and leave behind craters full with water, where will we plant our Taro’s Kumara’s, Pana’s, fruit trees, etc?”, “What will our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren inherit from us?”, “Are we going to leave behind just bear rocky bushes with craters?”
And “Will Australia take us to Australia if a big famine hits Nende or Temotu province?”
These questions are simple but is very important to understand as it holds the future of Nende people.
Lastly Leonard, the people of Nende are not blind, we understand that exchanging our future, our life, and the future of our children’s children with just a few hospital equipment and just a mere t’ shirt to march and celebrate your “International Nurse Day” is a decision we will not allow to happen in Temotu.
Finally, the medical equipment issued at Lata hospital has long gone been used and your t’ shirt has long been used and near rotting away through natural process “tear and wear” and see we still here to live on for the many more thousand years ahead till Jesus comes.
Are we going to exchange our future with a very temporary equipment and just your t’ shirts?
Now you see why I said “your article is nonsense” because you’re easily got hooked while the rest of Temotu particularly Nende are not!
Ulysis Glass
Honiara
