www.lifhaus.com.sb

In terms of birthing, some indeed still give "in the bush". Distance,lack of public transport system and expensive cost of travel still deprive some women from reaching health facilities in time for delivery. More than 90% of child births in Solomon Islands occur in clinics, however this may be slightly lower in two of our bigger provinces where some people still live in remote mountaineous regions.

Of course these thoughts are true.  Technical advisors are always looking for opportunities too - so they create a need and they fill it.  So the only way that they can continue in those roles is to ensure that the need remains.  Look at how many workshops are done in the name of capacity building....sapos oketa waka ba - ma umi over danger finish na....but we have virtually remained static with little improvement.  I have seen how many great Solomon Islanders are never found in the company of these TA's.....why?  because they are a threat to need?  Sogavare came up with an interesting rebuttal today....he said Our Party policy is not to get rid of RAMSI but they would like to see a more meaningful partnership....now how that translate to anti-ramsi theatrics from Sogavare I do not know!  Then again you could say his behaivour and actions are on the other extreme anyway.....and have very little resemblence to what he writes.....BUT i would like to believe that people like Sogavare and a good number of Solomon Islanders (who unlike Sogavare dare not open their mouths) see that what this article is trying to say is the root cause of many of our problems....what we need is to help ourselves! not helplessly wait on someone else.  I am also interested in the views of the Australian component who excuse their behaivour to their no nonsense attitude.....its simply not true - the Oz component of RAMSI are simply arrogant and cannot assimilate - the Kiwis do a damn fine job and that is why they are more readily accepted!

The issues of aid trauma will only get more noise as we come closer to the elections.. This article in itself is arguing for the reduction of aid to Pacific countries from the perspective that the aid from technical advisors is not good value for tax payers in the aid donor country.
 
Capacity building is all about teaching people and enabling people to do the work themselves or giving them the confidence to tackle problems independently.. Aid reliance is fostered when things are given without the skills parted for the recepient to become self sufficient.
This topic is very controversial and I think opinions should be shared from stakeholders because some sort of agreement needs to be reached on it to prevent ill feelings

Pacific Islanders are going back to those old colonization days. We are still being Colonized by Australia (and Others). They throw in free aids and advisors so to control their political agendas in the Pacific. They will therefore control the trading power, so that we depend on them for money and import more from them. If we manufacture more locally or export more, they will lose trading power. So they will always send their investors (and advisors) to control our resources (land, trees, mineral, human, etc) to make sure we remain powerless.

I think Fiji is setting the way forward, get rid of those expats and let the locals take over those top posts so to maintain local human developmnent. 31 years of dependency in SI is enough. We should be able to manage our self now. But we cannot because most of our highly valued human resources are working outside the country because they have no place in SI because someone outside has occupied those places.

The challenge for us is to get rid of neo-colonization. Gandhi's (of India) historical story may be a prototype for freedom.

Ok ,so as normal working Person , Why didn't I think this will have an effect on me,..me think se as long as i get paid Fortnights and i get to feed my Family me oraet na ia....or bae iumi hao tommorow ia...?????

Aid money and TAs are just part of the equation. We dont need to look far to search for reasons underlying our poverty. How many of us save money? Do we take initatives to venture into income generating business? Etc. Answers to these kind of self evaluating questions speak louder about who we are.

As long as you work, survive and eat then there is no effect on you. What about those unfortunate ones who dont have jobs like you? How will they get job? Who will provide jobs for them? Maybe stealing would be a way out.. and what if they steal properties from working people like you?

What if all these unemployed people all venture into belnut or ring cake business like yoyo said, will they have the market? What if these people are not business minded like some?

On a national perspective, what if the govt create factories to manufacture goods locally to export or to substitute imported products, then more jobs will be created, imports will be reduced, exports increased, currency would be improved as well.

But what if aid donors dont want to invest on local manufacturing because they want us to keep importing from them, then they pull us around by the nose. What if these TA's filled up positions that can be taken by locals, then there is no local human development, those highly educated ones may find greener pastures outside.

Our Economy depends on employment, more exports, less imports, more local business activities, etc. Why cant we raise out currency equal to AUD like when we started? Have these TA's done any differences yet? Has RCDF improve our economy yet?

It takes every single solomon islander to change their paradigm before a national revolution can take place. If it doesnt bother you because you already have a job and living happily with no concern about your fellow country-men who's struggling to survive, then we will remain stagnant and dormant with no development.

It's not really the government's job to create businesses.. But it is responsible for making conditions ideal (laws regarding working conditions, etc) for businesses to start or make incentives for foreign businesses or governments to invest in projects in SI...
It's very easy to blame aid donors for not investing in local industry (but I thought they were?).. But what are the conditions like for starting a business? Businesses are not charities, they won't invest unless there will be revenue from their investment!!
Aside from mining and logging companies in the Pacific region, how many other businesses actually are aware of the existence of the Solomon Islands? What is the perception of the Solomon Islands for someone who has just arrived in Honiara? How do people in Honiara perceive and treat foreigners? (Actually, very good, but one bad experience spoils many many good ones)..
 
As for RCDF etc.. How much money is left for the project after the cash is left in a car outside Point Cruz?

It is Govt's concern to promote employment and increase business activities in the country, and NOT to create business for you.

Donors like Taiwan donate not because they want revenue from your business (their investment) but because they want to maintain political support from the country.

Minerals, logging, fish, cocoa & copra are the countries biggest exports but most are raw exports. Exporting manufactured products would be more better. There has to be a start somewhere.

RCDF makes everyone to be lazy and dependant rather than self-dependant, but this is a whole issue on it's own.