U.S. Ambassador to Solomon Islands Ann Marie Yastishock visited several sites in Malaita Province and Western Province on August 8 following the commemoration of the 82nd anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal on August 7.
Ambassador Yastishock viewed the proposed Bina Harbor Processing Plant in Malaita Province. Following that, she visited Gizo Hospital where staff provided a tour of the facility. Following the visit to Gizo Hospital, she boarded a boat to travel to Sairaigi, where years of implementing training and resources from the United States have resulted in successful sustainable community-based fisheries management and a thriving economic women’s fishers collective providing economic benefits and investments in the community.
The United States and other donors have since replicated this model across Western Province. This marks the first visit of a U.S. Ambassador accredited to Solomon Islands to Western Province in recent memory.
Ambassador Yastishock praised the villagers’ achievements, stating that this project “exemplified an excellent exchange of technical know-how in tandem with the benefits of empowering women that raise local economies to their full capabilities, which can occur in people-focused programs.”
In addition, Ambassador Yastishock met with Premier of Guadalcanal, His Excellency Willie Atu to discuss potential Sister City relationships and other topics of mutual interest.
The U.S. Embassy notes that as part of the Pacific Islands Global Health Engagement program, a team of 20 U.S. Army Reserve medical professionals will work side-by-side to assist Solomon Islander doctors, nurses, and technicians at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara and hospitals at Auki, Gizo, and Munda, August 19-30, 2024.
“Ambassador Yastishock and U.S. Embassy officials met with Sairaigi villagers who have successfully implemented sustainable community-based fisheries management practices.”
Source: U.S. Embassy Honiara Press Release
