The Women Friendly Spaces (WFS) program set up by World Vision Solomon Islands (WVSI) following the April 3 floods is providing an opportunity for elder women in Guadalcanal Plains to transfer indigenous skills and knowledge to younger women and is a place where new friendships are formed.
The programme has changed the lives of women and helped them recover from the emotional and psychological effects of the disaster.
Madlyn Gere, 32, says that before the Women Friendly Space, women from Suaghi community never had the opportunity to come together and learn.
“Before women never came together. Maybe we got together at church but we never had an opportunity to spend time with each other, to learn from each other,” she says.
“It’s really good to have this space, now we do a lot of activities together.”
The women involved in singing, sports, cooking and traditional craft such as weaving.
Elders have taught young women practical skills such as weaving traditional coconut baskets that are commonly used for storing food and how to make other small ball-like bags which are used for cooking rice for big occasions.
A number of information sessions have also been held to cover topics such as maternal child health, nutrition, hygiene and domestic violence.
The domestic violence session, conducted by the Family Support Center, taught women about the forms of domestic violence and provided them with information Solomon Islands women empowered through Women Friendly Spaces.
Source: World Vision
