BASIC services like clinics, markets, and schools are what people in the rural areas need the most.
Any community that has got those services at their disposal should be enough for them to move on with their life.
One such community is Busurata, located 14 kilometres from the Malaita provincial capital Auki, up in the highlands of central Kwara’ae.
It has its own clinic, school and market to serve its people and the surrounding communities.
Its clinic, which was recently upgraded to the status of Area Health Centre, is serving its purpose well.
John Sala, the villager who was behind the idea to build the clinic there, said the facility was established in the 1980s.
“The idea of building a clinic here came after witnessing with my own eyes how women of this place struggled to go to Kilu’ufi Hospital to deliver,” Mr Sala explained.
“During those times, the condition of the road was really bad and women like that had to walk down to Kilu’ufi, which is very dangerous,” Mr Sala said.
He added few years later when he was elected to be a ward member for ward 29, he pushed forward the idea to build a clinic for the community.
The idea came into fruition and today, Busurata has its own health facility.
Mr Sala said health service is important for people.
“After we have completed it, we actually addressed the issue that our women have struggled with for many years.
“Women giving birth can just do it at our clinic. Only cases that were complicated get referred to Kilu’ufi Hospital.”
Busurata clinic has one labour ward to accommodate women during times of deliveries.
Another thing is the market.
Busurata also had its own market place that opens on Tuesdays and Fridays.
People from the surrounding communities come with their produces on Tuesday and Fridays early morning till late in the afternoon.
I went to that market place several times and saw that it was a good initiative.
Though the market house is not good enough for them but people make money from that place.
They only built a leaf house for that market.
The highest price you can get for the produces is $5.
Everything sold there were charged for $5 and below.
I asked one vendor and he told me that this is the price they agreed on.
During market days, people come together to sell their produces and meet each other, making jokes and enjoy their time together at the market place.
Another thing that our people always need is a high school for their children to learn.
Busurata also has its own community high school that accommodates both primary and secondary streams.
This year they have forms 1 to 5 and expect to introduce form six next year.
Mr Sala said that sending students to do secondary education in town is a huge challenge for parents at home.
“This is the reason why we established this school and improve it up to form 5 this year.
“Sending students to schools in Honiara is not easy for parents especially those who have no relatives in town.
“Doing their studies at this school is much cheaper for the parents because they only relied on their garden produces to meet their children’s school fees.”
Mr Sala said despite the challenges and struggles in life, community members were content that they have a clinic, a school and a market place they can sell their produces.
Furthermore, Busurate is connected to provincial capital Auki by a 14-kilometer dirt road.
“Life here has been made easy because of all these important services that we have in the community,” Mr Sala said.
He said that they are looking at improving those services to keep up with the modern trend.
“Currently we are working on a new clinic building to meet the demand of the population of this place.”
He said that old building does not have enough space therefore they are working on a new building to accommodate the needs of the increasing population.
Mr Sala thanked the people of the community for working together to build that new building.
“The money we used to build this building comes from hands of people through fundraisings and their contributions,” he said.
By LESLEY SANGA
