Acting Prime Minister, Douglas Ete has acknowledged the contributions of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) Dorcas federations throughout the country who have continued to render community services to the wider population based on Bible principles.
He highlighted this on Monday at the officially opening of a week-long Western District Dorcas women and Adventist men congress which is currently underway at Marau, East Guadalcanal.
More than 250 women from four different Federations took part in the annual gathering.
In his address Mr Ete said, the work done by dorcas in the country is being taken note of.
“You go and do feeding at the hospitals and schools, supplying clothing and much- needed items to local villages and communities in need, those suffering from natural disasters and what not.
“These small and humble acts of kindness have not gone unnoticed by our Heavenly
Father. Adventist Community Services, keep on with your humble works,” said Mr Ete.
He said, the Federation theme of ‘Loving, Caring and Sharing’ is the very basic nature of God and thanked the Adventist Community Services for playing their part in upholding and promoting this God-given virtue.
The Deputy Prime Minister also conveyed the warm greetings from the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Madam Sogavare who were at an international engagement attending the 70th UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
Mr Sogavare and his wife are active members of the Keamami SDA Community in North Guadalcanal where Madam Emmy Sogavare is the President of the Kamakasi Dorcas Women Federation.
“I would like to take this opportunity in thanking the leadership and Executive of the West Honiara District Federation of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church for the invitation and the opportunity to represent our government on this very special occasion.
“On behalf of the national government, I would like to take this opportunity in welcoming all Dorcas Societies and Adventist men present here and to convey warm greetings and well-wishes from the Honourable Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare and Madam
Emmy Sogavare to your all,” he said.
Mr Ete said, the government will always support community services by faith-based groups in every way it can and assured the women that the government will take strategic actions or programs that will go towards improving the lives of women in the country.
Such programs will include those that support community programmes and projects for women and girls through women’s development grants, programs to promote and deliver skills training for community women’s group like Dorcas.
Additionally, there will be Government programs that will intended to create opportunities for women and youth in business, such as food and craft markets, fisheries and tourism, and trainings in financial inclusion through financial literacy, savings schemes and access to affordable financial services for women and youth, he said.
As a way of showing the government’s appreciation for the tireless efforts of the Dorcas Federation who have attended the gathering, the Acting Prime Minister has presented $100,000 to the four Dorcas Federations who have convened at the gathering.
Additionally, Mr Ete has also donated $10,000 for three women groups of Marau, the Catholic, Anglican and SSEC denominations women’s groups who are also part of the Dorcas federations week-long congress.
A total of $130,000 was presented by the Acting Prime Minister during the occasion of the opening of the event Dorcas Federations and the Marau women’s organisations.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs Hon Freda Tuki Soriacomua who also delivered her remarks during the occasion thanked the organisers of the program for a job well done.
She said, the program demonstrated the partnership between government, churches and communities in sharing skills, knowledge and experiences throughout the week- long event that will go a long way in benefiting women from the four Federations who have attended the event, as well as those within the surrounding Marau communities involved.
She said the sharing of ideas on handicrafts, cooking, sewing, community servicing and fellowship during the congress will empower women and girls in their respective communities in undertaking their roles in communities.
Honourable Tuki said Cabinet recently approved an economic empowerment strategy for women and girls on a framework that seeks to provide a clear direction for SIG, NGO’s, Donors and Churches in empowering women and girls in their community engagement programs.
Mr Ete and Ms Tuki were accompanied to the event by the Minister for Police and National Security, Hon Commins Mewa, MP for East Guadalcanal Hon Bradley Tovusia, Deputy Premier of Guadalcanal Province Hon Rolland Seleso, Special Secretary to the Prime Minister Rence Sore, and senior officers from the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
