Dear Editor – Last Friday, 24 March, 2017, the Australian High Commission in Honiara issued a press release to coincide with the first anniversary of the introduction of Solomon Island’s Family Protection Act.
The press release went on to mention the referral services of the SeifPles Crisis Centre, the Family Support Centre, the Christian Care Centre and the Family Support Unit of the Public Solicitors Office.
Indeed, we should all be grateful for the work those organizations do in the context of helping women and girls in times of need.
In quite different circumstances, however, but equally deserving the highest support and praise are the doctors, nurses and staff of the NRH, provincial hospitals, rural health clinics and the staff of the Honiara Eye Hospital.
In caring for the disadvantaged in Solomon Island’s society we should also not overlook the dedicated and selfless work undertaken by the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society, the SINCW, the Hearts of Hope Charity (HOH), the Association of Persons’ with Disabilities, San Isidro, the Bethesda Disability Training and Support Centre, the Hapi Isles Foundation, World Vision, Save the Children, YWCA ,FSII and all those business organizations throughout the Solomons who regularly donate money or materials in kind to help the less fortunate.
One cannot exclude, too, the very generous aid to the people of the Solomon Islands by the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the Unites States, the Republic of China (ROC), Papua New Guinea, Germany, the United Kingdom and the UAR.
Finally, one simply cannot exclude the donations of medical supplies and equipment being sent to the NRH by the New Zealand based Charitable Trust, ‘Take my Hands’ and the Lions Club also in New Zealand.
To any organisation or donor country that I may have inadvertently missed from mentioning, please accept my apologies.
Thank you all!
Yours sincerely.
Frank Short
www.solomonislandsinfocus.com
