A Solomon Island Woman

Parenting is an equal responsibility somehow I feel like I am the only one doing it. Do you sometimes feel like this? For instance, on a typical day, I get up at 6am, cook breakfast and prepare the kids lunch boxes.   6:30am wake up the kids and try to get them to eat breakfast at the same time having mine. Meanwhile in the bedroom my husband is awake but browsing on his facebook news feed. I sometimes call on him to help out he does at times but I don’t usually want to push him because it won’t wind up too well. I don’t want to ruin my day so early as I have meetings lined up for the day. An increasing number of women are becoming the sole bread winner in families around Solomon Islands. I can literally count just above my head the women I know who are. But then there are those who are quite lucky to have both parents working. In such a family responsibilities still do fall heavily on the women. She needs to lock down dates on school holidays, parent’s intervie...

Suanatali Village, Velallavela Village in Gao Bugotu, Ysabel  In Honiara, everyone complains almost about everything and anything. On social media you can see that and it gives me the impression that we are a generation of ungrateful people. So full of negative energy we don’t have anything good to say about anything! You will note on social media if someone posts something positive only a few people will be commenting but if someone posts something negative a hog of flies will rain down all kinds of crap comments in seconds. I have had the opportunity to travel around the Solomon Islands and recently to the western province I find totally the opposite. Our rural people live in leaf huts and yet they are the happiest people full of gratitude towards life. No wonder we were called the Happy Isles! In each community were welcomed with such warmth, hosted and fed like a king. By people who own no earthly possessions but what nature brings, in the land and sea. ...