SI Red Cross recruited two new staff

Solomon Islands Red Cross (SIRC) has taken in Aloyius Erobaea and Mrs. Masia Vaieke after their interviews a week before.

Mr. Erobaea is a former active SIRC volunteer for Disaster Risk Reduction/Climate Change. He was employed by a local Insurance firm before joining the SI Red Cross team last week as Business Development & Fundraising officer. He will concentrate on how to raise funds to support the operational costs of the SIRC. Mr. Erobaea is expected to work with the local Red Cross Clothing shop and soon the organization's cafeteria as part of his initiative to get money.

Mrs. Vaieke also started her work as the Red Cross Health Promotion officer on Moday 10th March 2008. With her backgorund as a community health promoter, Vaieke is expected by her employer to travel to Weathercoast (Guadalcanal) and Maluu (North Malaita) to do her health awareness to the surrounding communities about community hygiene and how to reduce the risk of catching malaria.

According to Solomon Islands Red Cross policy those two new staff will under go three (3) months probation. If satisfactory after their probation period then they will become full time staff who will sign twelve months contract with the SIRC.

Solomon Islands Red Cross welcomes Erobaea and Vaieke to join its team.

NDRT Training completed on March 14, 2008

Seventeen participants from the SI Red Cross & other Pacific sister societies attended a National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) training in Honiara Red Cross office.
Training facilitator, Mr. Douglas Clark from the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies (Federation) said the aim of the training was to train the Pacific Red Cross personnel to be professionals in coordinating & managing disaster responses.
He was glad with the performances & interest shown by the participants of the sister red cross societies (Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, & Solomon Islands) over the five days of training.
At the closing of the workshop Mr. Clark told the participants the level they were at could enabled them to be fore runners in disasters.
The regional Red Cross should be grateful with the efforts Mr. Martin Blackgrove (Regional Disaster Management coordinator) to bring them together for the training.

SIRC General Assembly will be held on May 8, 2008

Date for the Solomon Islands Red Cross General Assembly (the highest conference of the Local Red Cross) has been announced by an extra ordinary meeting of the SIRC Governing Board to be held on May 8, 2008.
The Governing Board has the power to confirm or change the General Assembly date as covered under Articles 11. 2, 11. 3 & 11.4 of the SI Red Cross Constitution.
According to Charles Kelly, the SIRC Secretary General of the Solomon Islands Red Cross will hold the General Assembly on the day the organization will celebrate the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Day with its annual public appeal.
“Also we are looking forward to launch our invitations to donor partners and friends to attend that highest meeting”, he said.
So our regional partners like the Australian Red Cross, ICRC, IFRC, and government agencies should look at your plan trips to Honiara in early May 2008.

Dissemination trainer volunteers completed training

Nine new dissemination trainers completed a five days training at the Solomon Islands Red Cross head quarters on March7, 2008.
According to Niniu Oligao (SIRC Dissemination officer) the training aims at equipping the dissemination trainers volunteers with dissemination tools in return will train and give awareness to both external and internal audiences (volunteers, Branch Governing Board, and members) on the Humanitarian Values and Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Fundamental Principles.
The trainers learnt about the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement Fundamental Principles, International Humanitarian Law, and how safer the Red Cross could access to affected people during armed conflict, whether to apply First Aid, relief distributions, or giving medical attention to those who no longer or not fighting but suffering.
“The trainers were privilege to have various presentations from SIRC personnel who under went diverse experiences in disaster responses”, he said.
In regard to dissemination materials, the participants discussed with him on appropriate materials like posters and brochures which could still be used in their talks in the absence of electricity.
On the fourth day they had a fieldtrip to the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation studio to record a 15 minutes programme for SI Red Cross.
The challenge he left with the new trainers now is their turn to work closely with him through a network had been formulated during the training to effectively spread of the red cross by speaking on behalf of those silently suffering that make sure their physical and psych-emotional integrity is respected during disasters.
All the participants assured their confidence to do their new task when they admitted their gratitude at the end of the workshop.
And Niniu thanked the Australian Red Cross to financially support that Trainers training. He said such help was really a noble gift to humanity to discourage their suffering.