Dear Editor – Following the shameful incident last weekend when a mother in Makira Province was allegedly beaten and left paralyzed by her partner, the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT) is preparing a fresh project for its theatre group to provide awareness at the village level on the issues surrounding domestic and family violence.
The SIDT, being an organization registered as a Charity Trust under the provisions of the Solomon Islands Charity Trust Act, Chapter 55 is capable of developing drama scripts and with 10 volunteer actors, under the direction of the organization’s theatre coordinator, it has in the past, and would do so again if funding for the new project could be acquired, quickly mobilize throughout the country and effectively demonstrate by way of ‘theatre’ how violence in the home can be stopped.
There is no better way of showing village people how domestic violence incidents occur and how they can be avoided other than by theatre performances by local actors who are skilled at simulating situations before their eyes.
It is very much hoped that once the SIDT’s project proposal is prepared the Solomon Islands Government, together with the 6 UN aid organizations ( UN Women, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, ILO and the WHO) that are already committed to the fight against domestic violence in the Solomon Island and, most recently, announced funds available to the tune of US$600,000 or SBD $4,338.000 will aid the one truly proven local organization that is capable of making a real difference in the lives of the people in the rural communities throughout the nation.
Talking around the very serious situation of domestic and family violence is simply not enough and has gone on for far too long. Meaningful preventative action must be taken now before more women and girls become victims.
Once the SIDT’s Theatre Project is ready there will be a further release to the media.
In the interim, please do seriously consider the need to aid the work of then SIDT. Further information can be obtained by referring to the SIDT’s website www.sidt.org or by sending an email to [email protected].
Frank Short
www.solomonislandsinfocus.com
