BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
SOLOMON Islands Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA) sealed SBD4 million dollars agreement with SurfAid aimed at improving health and well-being of Solomon Islanders.
SurfAid head of programs and operations Jodi Cornish said under this signed Memorandum of Understanding SurfAid will be working with SIPPA in three areas. These include cervical cancer screening National communications campaign, assisting SIPPA with capacity building in areas they identify such as Information Technology (IT) and Human Resources and implementing a new project on reducing gender based violence and supporting survivors in Solomon Islands.
Cornish said on this reducing gender based violence and supporting survivors in Solomon Islands project it will work to mobilise SIPPA youth advocacy program to be agents of change to reduce GBV and improve support services for survivors.
“This three year one million NZD project is currently in the design phase and is expected to be implemented from September.
“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the support and funding of the Australian and New Zealand governments through DFAT and MFAT, it is this support that makes this partnership possible.
“SurfAid looks forward to the coming years and being able to work with SIPPA to improve health and well-being of Solomon Islanders,” she said.
Executive Director for SIPPA Ben Angoa SurfAid is one of our special partner in terms of development on SIPPA’s program. When “SurfAid come into play there has been changes in some ways of how we do things in terms of awareness. It is because of the expertise that SurfAid bring in.
“Now with the signing of this new project under the Manaaki Fund which is a New Zealand Grant through MFAT is another area where we want to expand on the project on reducing gender based violence and supporting survivors in Solomon Islands.
When it comes to gender we see it as there is still a need that we need to put more effort into. Having SurfAid with its new projects it really fills the gap that SIPPA is unable to address,”Angoa said.
He said SIPPA is looking forward to work collaboratively with SurfAid in implementing this project comes September.
The signing ceremony was held yesterday.
