By Gary Hatigeva

SMALL and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in and around the country are indeed benefiting from the mini-tradeshow that is currently underway in the capital, Honiara.

As part of the 6th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival (MACFest) for this year, the Ministry of Commerce together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, agreed to stage the mini tradeshow, with intentions to help small businesses promote their products and services.

On Tuesday, Island Sun was on site talking to a lot of the reputable SMEs who are participating in the show through invitation, and the feedback was massive.

One of the biggest winners is the Rela Coconut company from Malaita province, who expressed happiness to be part of what their representatives described to be, a game changer event for them.

In an interview on Tuesday, Fred Maelasi of the Malaita based company, explained that the mini tradeshow has truly served its purpose for a lot of the participating SMEs, most of which are new establishments.

Young Maelasi added that the event has also given a lot of the local SMEs an opportunity to promote what they have on offer, in terms of their products and services, which he thought can play huge part in the national economy.

“Like in our case for example. Back in the province, we not only manufacturer our products from our own resources, we also extend our sources to farmers in the rural settings who supply us with their raw products where we purchased from them.

“In this way, we are helping farmers benefit from their own resources, while at the same time create employment opportunities for our young people through our set up,” Maelasi explained.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Bisafo another representative of the Rela Coconut company, also expressed that they are grateful for the opportunity for being part of the event as it gives the wider public audience and customers, to give feedbacks, “which will help us improve our products”.

“Thanks to the ministry of commerce and the MACFest organising committee for inviting us to this important event as it meant a lot to some of us, where we are able to get direct feedbacks from the visiting public.

“Otherwise, we would have produced without realizing the actual or specific expectations of our customers regarding our products and would have wasted a lot of time and money on what will not make returns for us.

“Before coming to the show, we knew our productions were done according to consumer standards, but we also see that there are massive rooms for improvements, and so we hope to go further after show with our products after the event,” Ms Bisafo added.

The group is also looking forward to take part in similar events in the future and assured that they will return with a much bigger and wider range of products made.

Currently, the locally owned company produces four different products from coconut, which includes a soap that has an added cocoa flavor, hair food and body lotion.

Island Sun was unable to get the exact number of participants for the mini tradeshow but a lot of those participating with booths and stalls on site are mostly local but recognised manufacturers, with the likes of Soltuna Company Ltd, Women Specialised Weavers of Simbo in Western province, Coconut Pasifik who manufacture and export various products from coconut, the Honiara Women Council, Varivao Holdings who is now one of the country’s major exporters in coffee, kava and a few other root crops.

Others according to interviews, are mostly new establishments, who also joined the Rela Coconut Company to express their appreciation for being part of the show.

The mini tradeshow is at the Panatina campus venue of the Solomon Islands National University, and it continues throughout the whole of this week along with the timing of the Arts and Culture festival.

THE United States Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Her Excellency Catherine Ebert Gray, presented Emma Garo with the 2018 Ambassador’s Woman of Courage Award in Honiara on Thursday, July 5, 2018.

“By honouring Ms Emma Garo, we are honouring all women who have struggled, survived, and succeeded, who have faced unbelievable hardships and discrimination,” said Ambassador Ebert-Gray.

In her keynote address at a small but significant Women of Courage Award ceremony at the Heritage Park Hotel, the Ambassador highlighted Ms Garo’s story of bravery and courage, saying, “She has been a staunch advocate for not only the protection of women and children but also for upholding ethics in the legal profession.”

Garo helped an American citizen, facing abuse from her husband, escape from her home safely.

She went to the extent of waking up a magistrate in the middle of the night to get a restraining order then arranged to sleep in the police headquarters with the American citizen, to ensure her protection.

After helping the American citizen leave the country, Garo received threats from the husband’s family so she went into hiding.

She was very determined to prosecute the spouse, but after the American citizen got back to the States, she dropped the charges.

Those attending the ceremony included Freda Tuki, Minister of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, members of the United States-Solomon Islands Alumni Association, and United States Consular Agent Keithie Saunders.

They were impressed by Garo’s story including the fact that she had prosecuted her own brother for beating his wife – and gave him a jail sentence.

Following this and other courageous acts, Garo left the country for her own safety and worked as a Chief Magistrate in Nauru for two years.

She recently returned to the Solomon Islands where she was appointed Chief Magistrate of the Solomon Islands Main Court – the first female to hold that post.

In that position she is making major reforms at the court, including arranging for judges to travel to the provinces to hear legal cases.

This year, for the first time, the US Embassy in Port Moresby is helping each of our Woman of Courage award recipients in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea support a local organisation that they believe exemplify the community spirit, support for women’s rights, and values of equality and tolerance embodied in the Woman of Courage award.

Garo selected Prisons Fellowship Solomon Islands, an affiliate of Prisons Fellowship International, a charitable organisation focussed on persons affected by crime, including victims as well as prisoners and their spouses and children.

Established in 2007, the Woman of Courage Award honours women who have risked their lives and well-being to exemplify exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and social progress.

“We have honoured women who stood up for justice, human rights, constitutional reform, and the rule of law, disregarding any personal or professional risk.”

–US EMBASSY PRESS

POLICE at Gizo in the Western province are searching for a foreign national who was believed to have fallen over board after his boat was found at Sambora Village, Vella la Vella on July 2, 2018.

“Reports reaching the RSIPF are that the 50-year-old German national was travelling from Liapari to Gizo but failed to reach his destination,” says Provincial Police Commander Western Province, Chief Superintendent Mathias Lenialu.

“Currently we are engaged with other stakeholders in a search at sea for that missing person. Our search is covering the seas between Vella la Vella, Kolombangara and Gizo.

“I appeal to mariners to assist us in a lookout for this man.

“I want to remind the people of Western province to listen out for the weather and marine forecast that is usually issued out by the Solomon Islands Meteorology office through the SIBC or check the Met Service website before travelling at sea.

“If you are already out on your trip and the weather starts to get worse please make an attempt to find shelter until it is safe for you to travel.”

Police in Gizo can be contacted on phone 60999, 60966 or the National Police Communications Centre on phone 23666 or the police toll free line 999.

–POLICE MEDIA

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

THE first ever poverty maps, launched by the government recently has received its first public rejection by Choiseul provincial member for ward 12, Nerio Ulemiki.

He questions the equity and equal distribution of services which were highlighted in SIBC’s news by the government’s Statistician on the poverty maps.

The MPA for Ward 12 at Varisi Lavata said the report which indicated some wards in Northwest Choiseul as relatively high above the average poverty level is a clear sign of the national and past provincial government of Choiseul province’s unfair distribution of services around the province.

He added expressing that it clearly indicates demarcated wards at the Northwest of Choiseul included on the poverty map.

“The last four years were run down the slope to poverty for wards in Northwest Choiseul especially Ward 12 and the failed UNICEF classroom project in 2013 for three primary schools in wards namely Voruvoru, Bangara and Tutu Primary schools indicate clearly the unfair attitudes towards equity and equal distribution of services around Choiseul that resulted in wards around Northwest Choiseul missing the required services,” said Ulemiki.

“Therefore, as a newly elected MPA for Ward 12 in adhering to my people’s continuous call for a change regarding development in my Ward, I call on the new Choiseul provincial government and all its implementers and the national government, MP of Northwest Choiseul Constituency, churches and non-government organisations to concentrate their development aspirations on the wards around Northwest Choiseul especially Ward 12 of which I am elected to stand for their rights to come out of the poverty level this four years term.”