The women of West Wainoni in East Makira Constituency of Makira Ulawa Province have formed what can be described as a unique Council of Women.
They have registered as the West Wainoni Council of Women, a Charitable, Non-Profitable Organization.
It is unique because its members are both women and men and the ages of its affiliates range between one day old infants and 80 years old women.
The Treasurer of the West Wainoni Council of Women, Evalyn Kahia says it is also unique because both women and men members are allowed to talk in meetings, but only 15 women councilors can vote for final decisions.
She says there are 252 women members and 147 men associate members, adding businesses in West Wainoni also contribute and outsiders wishing to help can do so.
Ms Kahia says the West Wainoni Council of Women which was formed on 14 September 2019 agreed to have men associate members to enable them to understand its activities better.
2nd photo: Prudence Katawea and Evalyn Kahia pose for a photo with the office equipment and RDP team leader, Annie Rafeasi sitting on the right, CAO Alfonse Punia standing behind, health representatives also standing behind and an agriculture officer sitting on the left.
She says the West Wainoni Council of Women as a Charitable Non-Profit Organization has received support from the Government through the Rural Development Program and three donor partners namely the Australian Government, the European Union and the World Bank.
Ms Kahia says her organization registers its gratitude to the Government through RDP Management and staff in Component Two of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the three donor partners for seeing the importance to fund “our request originally for training.
“However, additional administrative support will really boost our efforts to reach out and help develop family units, communities, Wards and the Province and Solomon Islands as a whole”.
And on May 17, 2021, the efforts and endeavors of the West Wainoni Council of Women paid off when the RDP Team Leader, Annie Rafeasi handed over a Laptop, a Printer, a Dongle, Accessories and Stationeries to the unique West Wainoni Council of Women’s Vice President, Prudence Katawea and Treasurer, Ms Kahia at the Makira Women’s Resources Centre in Kira Kira.
On receiving the office equipment and accessories and stationeries, Ms Kahia described them as an enabling gigantic step in “our efforts and endeavors to serve the development needs and aspirations of our members.
“They will also empower and enable our women to take part in the socio-economic sector to improve their rural communities’ livelihoods and well-beings.
“And they will be used to improve and enhance the administrative capacity and capability of our Council of Women when serving rural women and the communities they reside”.
Meanwhile, Ms Kahia says the time, effort and money in particular “we spend will be sliced by half, as we will now work at home instead of going do our work in Kira Kira.
“At this juncture, I take the chance to commend Our Telekom for installing the Arohane 3-G Communications Network because we can now send and receive documents and reports to and from the development partners, stakeholders and the government”.
By George Atkin
Kira Kira
