EU hands over coconut mill project to local community in Western Province

The people of Sausama on Kolombangara, Western Province have taken delivery of a newly built coconut oil mill micro project.

Senior officials from the EU micro project office and the Ministry of Development Planning handed over the project to the community in a simple and brief ceremony yesterday afternoon.

SIBC's Simon Papage reports that happy smiling children joined the few dozen adults who waited patiently the whole day to witness the handing over and opening ceremony.

Papage says the rest of the people from surrounding communities had unfortunately left the mill site earlier and returned to their respective homes after flights from Honiara were delayed resulting in the late arrival of the Honiara delegation on the site.

Director of the EU Micro projects, Anthony Nedley was among officials who handed over the project to the Sausama community.

He encouraged the community to continue the fine job in working together to accomplice such fine achievements.

Meanwhile, Programme manager from the Ministry of Development Planning Peter Reddish also congratulated the community for initiating the project and doing all the physical job and completing the oil mill.

He attributed the success to the initiative of the people, expressing hope that communities in other parts of the country will enter into similar micro projects in future.

The Sausama virgin coconut oil production mill crushes kernel from raw dry coconut and processes coconut milk into refined vegetable oil.

Source: SIBC