SEVEN community youth groups successfully signed a grant agreement with Oxfam’s “Statim Faia” project today as part of a series of capacity building and mentoring project designed to enhance youth-led solutions.
The “Staim Faia” initiative which is driven by Oxfam Solomon Islands, Honiara Youth Council (HYC) and the Honiara City Council (HCC) Youth Division, aims to empower young people and their representative organizations to engage effectively in decision making across all levels.
The successful recipients are; Music Gateway, Bethlehem Chapel Youth Group, Has Uria Dianala Youth Group, Holy Cross Youth Group, Full of Hope Youth Group, Ketolo Boys Youth Group and SSEC Central Church (CY Ministry)
The signed agreement includes small grants that went through a participatory approach from community researches through action planning and proposal development.
The youth clubs’ proposal encompasses around Environment, Gender Based Violence and Civic Education. Particularly, projects around bio-gas that aims to reduce environmental impact using waste management and turning it into gas.
These include setting up of street lights for safer streets for young girls and women, photography exhibition on issues and solutions, and recycling and reuse of plastic bottles and cans and theatre for development.
The clubs also designed initiatives to eliminate violence against women and girls, awareness on civic education and rights for inclusive youth development.
Oxfam acknowledged the contribution of partners in youth development initiatives.
Oxfam encourages and invites more youth clubs to register with HYC/HCC to get access to the resources and opportunities that can enhance their leadership skills. Oxfam will continue to work with HCC, HYC and community youth clubs in addressing the issues of young people.
Further, Oxfam extend its gratitude to comic relief for their funding support.
HCC’s Head of Division for Women, Youth & Sports, Roland Pauku acknowledged the support of Oxfam through the process of capacity building in proposal development and writing.
Mr Pauku applauded the funding support from Comic Relief and encouraged community youth clubs to make use of the small grants initiative to boost youth development programs in the Solomon Islands.
“Young people in Honiara will continue to utilize the type of support and opportunities. I would like to encourage more youth clubs in Honiara to come and register at HCC-Youth Division,” states Harry James, President of the Honiara Youth Council.
Enthusiastically commenting on the grant signing, Oxfam Solomon Islands Interim Country Director, Doreen Fernando said: “These grants exemplifies the commitment and support of Oxfam towards youth inclusive development and giving these youth especially young women the opportunity to raise their voices on issues affecting them”.
“Oxfam is really proud to have been working closely with the youth groups and would like to thank all for all their efforts to bring positive changes in young people’s life.”
Ketolo Boys Leader, Pelly Safue stressed that more young people in Honiara should come forward and access opportunities through HCC- Youth Division and Honiara Youth Council.
The grant program is funded by Comic Relief fund and Royal Common Wealth Society, under The Queen‘s Young Leaders Programme in honor of Her Majesty The Queen’s 60 years of service to the Common Wealth.
Community Youth Groups in Honiara are encouraged to join the Honiara Youth Council by registering at the HCC Youth Division at Multipurpose Hall.
–OXFAM PRESS RELEASE
