Kindness in Nurturing Disability Needs Ensuring Sustainable Supplies (KINDNESS)  

Bethesda Disability Training and Support Centre provides residential vocational training for adults living with disabilities to address inequities in education.   

In the Solomon Islands, only 2 per cent children with disabilities attend primary school, 1 per cent attend secondary school and less than 1 per cent attend senior secondary school.   

Up to 20 students, often from remote rural villages, attend Bethesda Disability Training and Support Centre  for one or two years, learning practical skills in agriculture, carpentry, food and nutrition, sewing, business studies, health, literacy and numeracy. Bethesda’s main income-generating activity is poultry farming and selling eggs, but this activity has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Honiara riots in 2021. Consequently, Bethesda does not have funds to replenish the students’ equipment and tools or to print training manuals for teachers.   

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• deliver 20 training sessions to eight Bethesda teachers in disability awareness, inclusion and strategies for teaching people living with disabilities
• purchase equipment and tools for students living with disabilities to use in their practical subjects, such as sewing machines and carpentry tools
• provide an accessible plant nursery for students to grow vegetables from seeds and gain skills in selling and marketing produce in the community. 

Women Development Division Stakeholders Workshop on Implementation of the Guadalcanal Province Gender Equality and Equal Participation in Development Policy  

In December 1996, Guadalcanal province adopted the Gender Equality and Equal Participation in Development Policy 2016-2019. In August 2021, the gender policy was reviewed and is now ready for tabling at the Guadalcanal Provincial Government Executive for implementation.   

This project will help stakeholders understand their roles in implementing Guadalcanal province’s Gender Equality and Equal Participation in Development Policy 2022-2025.  

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• convene a workshop on the implementation of Guadalcanal province’s Gender Equality and Equal Participation in Development Policy with key stakeholders including Heads of Division at the provincial government, rural community women leaders, and members of 21 ward development committees 
•  integrate gender into annual work plans, projects and annual budgets by 15 divisions within the Guadalcanal Provincial Government
• advocate for goodwill, rapport and support from men for the successful implementation of the policy. 

Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building

The Institute of Solomon Islands Accountants (ISIA) is the regulator of the accountancy sector in Solomon Islands.

The Institute’s Governing Framework spells out both its legal and institutional requirements, including rules to guide operations and supplement the Accountants Act 2010.

In 2021, the Standards Advisor passed away shortly after developing the Governing Framework, the Education Framework and the first set of six rules for the Institute. These rules are critical in guiding the operations of the Institute and strengthening governance to ensure accountability and transparency in all aspects of ISIA's operations.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will engage a legal consultant to develop the rules of the Institute and proposed amendments to the Accountants Act 2010.

Women Development Division Organisational Strengthening Project

Guadalcanal is the largest island in Solomon Islands. Like much of the country, a patriarchal culture exists and gender-based violence is a significant problem. While some progress to reduce gender-based violence has been made, more needs to be done to promote greater gender equality.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• purchase a desktop computer, printer, photocopier and scanner to improve data collection and streamline gender insights into the Guadalcanal Provincial Government policies, annual work plans and programs
• undertake data analysis, collation, tabulation, computation and compilation of progress reports on the achievements and challenges in implementing the Gender Policy.

Building capacity to secure a safe return and ongoing delivery of sport and physical activity in Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands Sport & Leadership Institute will work with a health professional to develop resources, manuals and training materials, to build staff capacity for the safe return of sport and physical activity across Solomon Islands.