To'abaita student graduate with International Rural Development Masters in New Zealand

A To'abaita student leader, Fredrick Dear Saeni, was one of three Solomon Islands students who have completed their studies at Lincoln University in New Zealand and were awarded with high level degrees.

Mr Saeni and Rose Tungale of Temotu, have attended the school graduation on the 24th April 2009 in Christchurch while May Tana Pitakere received her certificate in absentia.

Mr Saeni, who did his thesis in ‘Customary Landownership, Recording and Registration in the Solomon Islands’ graduated with a degree of Master of Applied Science – International Rural Development, with Second Class Honours, Division 1.

Ms Tungale Rose did her thesis in ‘Customary Marine Tenure in the rural Solomons.

She graduated with the degree of Master of Applied Science – International Rural Development, also with Second Class Honours, Division 1.

The degree of Master of Applied Science – International Rural Development is partly about the application of knowledge and skills in project planning and management in the developing world.

It is about critically investigating the range of mechanisms by which international rural development assistance is delivered.

In overall brief; the study covers a wide range of areas and disciplines including but not limited to: Poverty reduction strategies, Development management, Microfinance, Gender and development, Sustainable livelihoods, Development economics, Community development, Environmental impacts, Maori development, Participatory development, Tourism, Human ecology, Institutional assessment plus many other significant areas in the field of research.

In absentia, Ms Pitakere graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Soil Sciences.

According to Mr Saeni and Ms Tungale the awards were products of firm dedication and commitments.

“Success is the residue of desire,” said Mr Saeni.

“In any strive, result correlates with effort.

“How much effort one put into something is how much he/she going to get out of it,” he added.

Ms Tungale is now the Deputy Program Manager of the European Union group in the Solomon Islands.

Mr Saeni is now a Research Fellow for the Macmillan Brown Centre of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, while Ms Pitakere is a lecturer at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education.

Source: Solomon Star

Bita'ama people in North Malaita revive traditional way of catching dolphins

A local investment company at Bita'ama in North Malaita has revived a tradition of calling dolphins to beach in the Bita'ama Harbour.

Chairman of the Bita'ama Dolphin Marketing Investment, Emmanuel Tigi, told SIBC News that following a series of prayers last week fishermen lead hundreds of bottlenose dolphins into the Bita'ama Harbour.

Mr Tigi says they could only keep 20 dolphins and the other hundreds went back to the open sea.

"We led the bottlenose dolphins and put them in a net in the place where people used to catch dolphins. Hundreds of people including school children from the surrounding area gathered to see the event. Students from Ngalikekero Rural Training Centre, Bita'ama Community High School and Rate Primary School came to witness the event, because it was historic. Dolphins were not help more than 20 years ago, but last week the tradition of the calling and catching dolphins was revived."

Mr Tigi says he formed the company last year to see whether the people can benefit from activities relating to dolphin whether it is for sale overseas or for tourist attraction.

Mr Tigi says he is seeking assistance from government departments to help his company earn money for the rural people.

Source: SIBC

Solomon Islanders urged to help develop Solomon Islands

Solomon Islanders should help their countrymen develop their nation.

Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Rural development and Indigenous Affairs Dr Judson Leafasia says it's now time Solomon Islanders take control of themselves and plan their future.

He says the time to depend on foreigners giving advise on how to manage finance and run businesses is over.

Dr Leafasia says advises from foreigners and aid money won't last long but the more Solomon Islanders know how to manage their finances and run businesses, the more they will involve in the development of their country.

Dr Leafasia congratulated the Ministry of Commerce, Industries and employment for engaging three local business centres to carry out financial literacy courses in the first 25 constituencies in the country.

He says these centres are more familiar with Solomon islands settings and will be in a better position to advise local people on how to manage their finances.

Source: SIBC

SICHE students rep calls on government to be fair in its sponsorship approach

The Government has been urged to be fair in sponsoring students in all disciplines at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education, SICHE.

An Executive member of SICHE's Students Association, Kendrick Tango’eha says at present the government is only sponsoring students who take up nursing and teaching courses.

Mr Tango’eha, who is studying towards the Diploma in Tropical Agriculture, says SICHE produces 90 percent of the country’s workforce especially in the lower and middle levels of employment in both the public and private sectors.

He says restricting the assistance to nursing and teaching professions only means that only less than one-third of the annual intake of students is covered for tuition and accommodation fees.

Mr Tango’eha says more than 75 percent of the students are self-sponsored and are living with parents or relatives during the duration of their programmes.

He says the current arrangement is discriminatory and is not conducive to the Government’s attempts to bring about socio-economic development to Solomon Islanders.

Mr Tango’eha says agriculture is expected to feature prominently in the Government’s Rural Development Policy and Bottom Up Approach.

He says students who would be responsible for implementing that policy after graduating from SICHE, are all self-sponsored.

Source: SIBC

TARD member at the Fiji School of Medicine passes away

A very active TARD member who is studying at the Fiji School of Medicine has passed away in her room at the school campus in Suva, yesterday (Thursday).

Ms Lynly Galie (pictured on the right) who comes from Malanaofe in the Fo'ondo District was discovered dead in her room yesterday morning by a friend.

Police investigations have began and the cause of death is still not determined.

The late Lynly was a fourth year Solomon Islands Government sponsored student pursuing a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory at the Fiji School of Medicine.

Solomon Islands students and other Pacific Island friends gathered last night at the FSM campus for a memorial vigil where songs and encouragements were shared. Present were the Solomon Islands High Commission representative in Suva, other Pacific Island student association representatives at FSM, the SISA vice president, other Solomon Islands cultural group representatives and friends.

Arrangements are being finalised to repatriate the body back to Solomon Islands probably by this weekend or early next week. A memorial service is also being planned for Lynly in Suva.

The TARD family in Suva and Solomon Islands are saddened by the sudden loss of a great and vibrant person like Ms Lynly. To her friends Lynly may be a shy girl but to TARD, she was a great inspiration to many as she was always present to assist where possible in regard to the past TARD community activities in North Malaita starting from 2006. Lynly had a big heart for the grassroot community people in North Malaita. Her abrupt departure from this life will leave a huge gap in the TARD group so as the human resource base for North Malaita and even Solomon Islands.

WE BID YOU FAREWELL LYNLY AND MAY GOD COMFORT US ALL IN THIS TIME OF BEREAVEMENT. Your TARD friends will always remember you by your chatroom code name: "Ln".