Malu'u Infant Incubator Project

Malu’u Clinic Infant Incubator Project, North Malaita, Solomon Islands To’abaita Authority for Research and Development (TARD) Report

Some of the rural people who gathered at Malu’u to witness the handover ceremony

A Generous donation from the Medical Aid Abroad New Zealand (MAANZ), as a gift to Malu’u Clinic and coordinated by TARD

Compiled by: Exsley Taloiburi (Mr) TARD Technical Advisor/ Project Coordinator University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia Phone: +61437642032 Email: [email protected] Website: http://toabaita-authority.blogspot.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The To’abaita Authority for Research and Development (TARD) student/youth volunteer group would like to acknowledge the following authorities and individuals for their genuine contribution in one way or another to ensure the “Malu’u Clinic Infant Incubator Project” was successfully handed over to the staff and committee at the Malu’u Area Health Centre. Without your assistance, this initiative would never reach the rural populace of North Malaita. Therefore, TARD is sincerely grateful towards the following bodies and individuals for their collective contribution in one way or another towards this initiative. 1) Dr Graeme Woodfield (MAANZ Chairman in Auckland), his MAANZ executive, and team of volunteers for their kindness, understanding, generosity and continuous commitment to work with a student/youth volunteer group such as TARD. TARD is also thankful towards MAANZ for covering the initial costs of packaging and freighting of the incubator from Auckland to Honiara. Without such support, this vital equipment would not reach Honiara. 2) Mr Peter Fairamoa (current TARD Chairman), Mr Ishmael Alulu (Honiara TARD Committee member), Veronica Maeda, and others who have assisted in one way or another from the Customs Clearance stage at Honiara Port, temporary storage in Honiara, and transportation to Malu’u Clinic in North Malaita. 3) Mr Joseph Inomae of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) National radio for covering the assistance through the media in the national radio’s news programs. 4) The clinic committee, staff and community members of Malu’u Clinic who have taken the initiative to prepare for our arrival to hand over the incubator. 5) Honourable Daniel Enele Kwanairara, Member of Parliament for North Malaita Constituency, for his kind assistance in terms of financial donation to help meet freighting costs from Honiara to North Malaita. 6) Mr Leliana Daowana Firisua and Michael Maena of the Small and Medium Enterprises Council of Solomon Islands (SMEC) for their assistance of SBD$1,500 cash donation to TARD to assist with freighting costs. 7) Mrs Betty Fakarii, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development for her individual donation of AUD$50; and Mr Philip Kanairara, a To’abaita law student in Vanuatu for his donation of FJD$50.

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1.0. PROJECT NARRATIVE SUMMARY 1.1. Introduction The official request for the Infant Incubator equipment was made by TARD in November 2006 after being notified by MAANZ that it was available in stock. After that, TARD consulted with the clinic committee and nurses at Malu’u Clinic and got their support to pursue such assistance, the first for Malu’u Clinic in history. Upon receipt of the TARD request, regular liaising was initiated via email whereby TARD was informed that the request was accepted. As a result, the incubator along with other general medical supplies was packed by a packaging specialist company in Auckland known as “POPE PACKAGING” and later delivered to the PFM Freight Company in Auckland for shipping to Honiara. The total costs for packaging and shipping of the incubator from New Zealand to Honiara was around NZD$571.80, which was initially covered by MAANZ on the understanding that TARD would reimburse that cost. The incubator reached Honiara at the end of January 2007 and was cleared by TARD from Customs and temporarily stored at an authorised location in Honiara awaiting transportation to North Malaita on June 11th 2007. TARD is privileged to be able to work closely with MAANZ in facilitating this infant incubator to Malu’u Clinic, as this is the second time that MAANZ has assisted the rural people of North Malaita with medical supplies. Their first initiative with TARD was late last year when they donated forty (40) boxes of medical supplies that benefited four clinics in North Malaita, particularly Malu’u, Bita’ama, Fo’ondo and Gwaiau. 1.2. The problem TARD was trying to address In the North Malaita region, like elsewhere, access to better health facilities is a basic human right for individuals and is of uttermost importance to the livelihood of rural communities. However due to lack of resources and unequal distribution of development benefits, access to standard medical facilities is not fully realized in most of the clinics in North Malaita. Considerable population growth along with over-crowdedness of evicted North Malaita people from Guadalcanal immediately after the recent ethnic crisis in Solomon Islands has resulted in the unavailability of adequate medical items and facilities to cater for the rising demand for basic health services. Deteriorated and/or lack of equipments and medication is becoming a threatening issue that, if not addressed promptly, will implicate the wellbeing of rural communities in North Malaita. In addition, communities which utilize medical services at the Malu’u Area Health Centre are mainly rural dwellers and “grassroot” people that depend entirely on subsistence farming and fishing to earn at least a substandard living. They usually sell the surplus fresh produce or fish catch at a very low price at the

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weekly rural markets. This is their only source of income since there are less employment opportunities in the rural areas. With the small income they derive from selling their farm produces and fish catches, they must ensure to support their families in meeting basic needs such as paying school fees for their children, decent clothing, basic health services, proper cooking utensils and provision of food. Therefore, the requested infant incubator would serve as a breakthrough, a first of its kind in such an equipment, for the hard work and commitment that the Malu’u Clinic committee had endured to maintain the under equipped clinic. As a result it would greatly help with emergency cases on premature births, which often happens at Malu’u, but not attended to immediately in the past as patients had to be referred to the Kilu’ufi Hospital (about 6 hours drive from Malu’u to the Malaita Provincial capital in Auki). 1.3. Project location The Malu’u Clinic which benefited from this infant incubator donation from MAANZ is located in the North Malaita Constituency, at the northern tip of Malaita Island, Solomon Islands (fig 1). Malu’u Area Health Centre serves a total population of more than 21,000 people, a drastic increase after the ethnic tension.

North Malaita

Fig 1: General Map of the Solomon Islands with Malaita Island

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Malu’u Clinic

Fig 2: Location of Malu’u Clinic within the North Malaita region

1.4. Project goals and expected outputs The primary goals and anticipated outcomes of the Malu’u Clinic Infant Incubator Project were: • To improve medical equipments and general services that was available at the Malu’u Clinic in North Malaita. The anticipated output was that it would enable rural people that use the clinic to access better medical services and facilities at a cheaper cost, as it is closer to their homes. •

To provide an alternative source of health assistance through international donor/volunteer agencies that compliments the work of the national government. The implication was that it would develop wider understanding and appreciation amongst rural communities on genuine donor support from New Zealand non governmental organisations thus, value and respect donor initiatives.

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To enable people to value and care for their health facilities whilst improving their awareness on the importance of good health. The expected outcome was that it would ensure that future generations are able to thrive and develop in our collective effort to help communities become self-sustained.

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2.0. HOW TARD IMPLEMENTED THE PROJECT INITIATIVE This infant incubator project was handed over to Malu’u Clinic by TARD on June 13th 2007 as a partnership initiative with the Medical Aid Abroad New Zealand, particularly Dr Graeme Woodfield and his staff, and other generous stakeholders. Prior to arrival of the incubator in Honiara, TARD through student member financial contributions had taken initial initiatives to seek extra financial donations to help with the freighting costs from Honiara to North Malaita, as this was not covered under the project donation. Therefore, even when the incubtaor has reached Honiara TARD had already secured adequate financial pledges to assist with freighting costs and other distribution logistics. In addition to that, TARD had also reimbursed about NZD$300 of the total MAANZ expense of around NZD$571.80 whilst pursuing funds to settle the remaining balance before the end of 2007.

Ishmael Alulu of TARD collecting a donation of $1,500 from the SMEC Office in Honiara

After the incubator has arrived and was temporarily stored in Honiara, TARD liaised with staff and committee members of the Malu’u Clinic to make arrangement to receive the incubator from TARD. During that same period, media publications were also made through the TARD website, Solomon Star Newspaper and SIBC National radio. The TARD Chairman (Exsley Taloiburi) and Project Coordinator also had to take voluntary leave from studies in Fiji and pay for his own return air tickets to travel to Honiara just to coordinate the implementation of this project along with another medical supplies project from a non-government organisation in Australia known as AFAP. On Monday, June 11th 2007, the incubator plus other medical supplies donated by the Australian Foundation for Peoples of Asia and the Pacific (AFAP) were shipped from Honiara to Auki (the capital of Malaita Province) in a vessel known as MV Renbel. The ship reached Auki at around 0100 hours on Tuesday 12th June 2007 morning and the total freight costs that was covered by TARD for the

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incubator and other AFAP donated medical supplies amounted to SBD$5,000. Also, on that same Monday evening (June 11th 2007), a service message and national news were aired through the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) radio to aware the people of North Malaita and other Solomon Islanders about this very crucial assistance from MAANZ and other donors. The Infant Incubator Package being loaded with other medical supplies from AFAP in MV Renbel on its way to Malaita with TARD volunteers.

The infant incubator from the Medical Aid Abroad New Zealand (MAANZ) along with other general medical supplies from AFAP were handed over to the clinic staff, committee members, chiefs and surrounding community representatives at Malu’u on Wednesday June 13th 2007.

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The Infant Incubator being loaded to be handed over to Malu’u Clinic

The incubator from MAANZ (covered with black plastic in front of truck) with other medical supplies from AFAP being loaded to be delivered to Malu’u Clinic

TARD Chairman Exsley Taloiburi (second from left) with Malu’u Clinic staff and Chairman

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The people who came to witness the handover ceremony in front of Malu’u Clinic

Excited North Malaita mothers who carry medical supplies plus the incubator into the Malu’u Clinic

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3.0.

SUCCESS OF THE MAANZ/TARD PROJECT INITIATIVE

3.1. Recognition and appreciation from the Malaita Provincial Government Through the MAANZ donation of such a significant equipment (Infant Incubator), the first of its kind for Malu’u Clinic, along with other initiatives, TARD has managed to gain the attention and recognition of the Malaita Provincial Government. That was evident with the high level provincial executive that met briefly with the TARD Chairman in Auki on Tuesday morning (June 12th 2007), whereby the Premier conveyed his executive’s gratitude to genuine donors such as MAANZ as well as youth volunteer groups such as TARD for facilitating such initiative to the grassroots people of Malaita.

L-R: Malaita Premier Richard Na’amo Ramosaea; Deputy Speaker and provincial member for ward 6, Silas Talota; Deputy Premier and member for ward 8, Edwin Suibaea; Levi Senly Filualea (Minister of Agriculture and member for ward 9); another un-named member and TARD Chairman, Exsley Taloiburi (far right).

3.2. Donor recognition of TARD’s volunteer work in North Malaita The successful implementation of the Malu’u Clinic Infant Incubator Project along with other previous and current community initiatives have helped TARD to gain further trust and confidence amongst the donor body and networks. The genuine voluntary commitment, cooperation and hard work that TARD puts into any community project that it pursues from the planning to implementation phase, regardless of the fact the TARD is merely a student/youth volunteer group, highlights the seriousness of the TARD membership in achieving its goals and objectives.

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3.3. Encouraging financial support from various North Malaita leaders TARD is a volunteer, non profit student/youth group that does not have access to any administrative funding. It only relies on its student member contributions and goodwill donations from various North Malaita leaders to ensure that its community development projects are implemented successfully. Following TARD’s transparency and accountability of handling previous projects either in cash or materials, there has been a very positive and encouraging financial support from various North Malaita leaders to fund the transportation costs from Honiara to North Malaita and other logistical support. This is a clear indication of North Malaita leader’s appreciation of the genuine and good voluntary work that TARD, as a student group is trying to do with regards to helping rural communities in North Malaita. 3.4. Great and enthusiastic public support and appreciation Through this project coupled with other past community projects that TARD has already successfully coordinated, there has been a wide public support of TARD’s goals and vision. This was evident with the number of people who turned up to witness to witness the handing over of the incubator to Malu’u Clinic. 3.5. Promotes positive perspective of New Zealand NGO’s good work in Solomon Islands Finally, the continuous support of community development work in North Malaita in such a calibre of significance by New Zealand donors and non-government organisations, such as MAANZ, has painted a positive perspective, reputation and image of the genuine work that the New Zealand groups are doing in the Solomon Islands. Rural North Malaita people have begun to understand that the “people-to-people” relationship between New Zealanders and Solomon Islanders is very well intact.

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