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In the Solomon Islands, Oxfam Australia is working to ensure people have enough food for an active and healthy life, encouraging sustainable resource management and addressing the root causes of conflict in communities to build lasting peace.
Our focus
Responding to emergencies
When disaster strikes around the world, Oxfam moves quickly to provide life-saving assistance to people in need.
In April 2007, a series of earthquakes – the largest registering 8.1 on the Richter Scale – triggered tsunami waves swamping coastlines of the Western Province islands in the Solomon Islands. Oxfam responded immediately, providing emergency shelter and restoring water and sanitation facilities. Our efforts continue, helping local people rebuild their lives and become more resilient to future disasters.
Food and livelihood security
The Solomon Islands has one of the youngest populations in the Pacific region and more than 80 per cent of Solomon Islanders live in rural areas, relying on subsistence farming to sustain their families and earn an income. We support the Young Farmers' Program which aims to provide young men and women in Malaita, Choiseul, Guadalcanal and Western provinces with viable livelihoods as an alternative to urban migration. Kastom Gaden Association (KGA) is our local Solomon Islands partner in this endeavour, managing the project at the local level by providing village-based livelihood training.
Sustainable resource management
Parts of the Solomon Islands have been severely deforested as a result of uncontrolled logging by private companies. We support the Solomon Islands Forestry Program, which is implemented by the Environmental Concerns Action Network of Solomon Islands (ECANSI). This project provides communities threatened by commercial logging with information on the legal processes that need to be followed by companies or landowners who want to log. The project also develops forestry action plans with communities that decide not to pursue commercial logging.
Peace building
Together with local partner organisations, we are working to address the root causes of conflict in communities. Our peace building program includes:
- The Citizens’ Voice program – which, as part of its mandate, runs a series of seminars on a range of issues that aim to increase Solomon Islanders’ influence over decisions affecting their lives and improve the accountability of governance structures
- Our work with the Family Support Centre which provides counselling and referral services for people experiencing domestic/sexual violence
The Solomon Islands Conflict Mitigation Program which helps local partner organisations understand how their work can support peace building and avoid contributing to conflict
HIV and AIDS
We are taking a leading role in the Pacific Regional HIV Project which aims to reduce people's vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. As part of this project we are:
- Managing the Solomon Islands National AIDS Council (SINAC) Grant Scheme which has disbursed funding for HIV-related work to eight community-based organisations and provincial hospitals
- Developing and maintaining HIV stakeholder networks
- Working with SINAC to implement the first Solomon Islands National HIV/AIDS Multi-sectoral Strategic Plan
Oxfam staff are also involved in the Country and Regional Coordinating Mechanism for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
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Stories & photos
Painting for the planet
Solomon Islands artist Chris Dala wanted world leaders to see the bigger picture on climate change — so he painted it.
Recovery after the wave
A year after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated parts of the Solomon Islands, locals are still struggling to rebuild their lives.
Small steps
Oxfam's Alfred Kiva talks about our HIV and AIDS work in the Solomons.
Listen to the interview (2.21 mins - 556kb MP3)
Small gardens make a big impact
Sustainable farming practices and organic farms are improving the livelihoods of communities in rural Solomon Islands.