Solomon Islands: Good tiding of great joy!
Advancing the theme and spirit of Christmas by a few weeks, I want, today, to bring you details of two scheduled events which, to me and I suspect those involved with the administration of the National Referral Hospital (NRH) and the local Solomon Islands Piano Association (PASI), will bring joyful news.
My partner charity in New Zealand, ‘Take My Hands.’ loaded 27 hospital beds into a 20 foot container over the weekend and the container is expected to depart this week from Wellington, destined for Honiara and the NRH.
The container is the last of the containers that the SFA supported and donated funds for in 2018.
I would wish to take the opportunity of expressing my profound thanks to the Chairman and Board Members of the SFA for responding to the original appeal I made and also for supporting past appeals which resulted in many other hospital beds and mattresses reaching the under-resourced and over-stretched NRH.
I should mention, too, my gratitude to the SFA for responding to an appeal for the Hearts of Hope (HoH Charity based in Malaita.
Some 90 boxes of clothing items and footwear were delivered to HoH as a result.
Take My Hands Charity in New Zealand does outstanding work helping the Solomon Islands with donated medical equipment and supplies whenever donations can be generated to guarantee shipping the supplies.
The second piece of good news relates to the pending arrival in Honiara of the talented group of UK musicians willing to fly out to Honiara and help the local young people that are members of the Solomon Islands Piano Association (PASI)
The UK musicians are known as the Dionysus Ensemble in Residence for the Commonwealth, being the only professional performing musicians appointed to the Commonwealth, with headquarters at the Commonwealth Institute in London.
The Dionysus Ensemble has been raising funds in the UK and getting sponsorship to undertake the help on offer for PASI and we must feel very honoured to have such talented and highly regarded musicians willing to make the journey to the Solomon Islands and to give free tuition to PASI members and the instruction staff.
It is my understanding that the Dionysus Ensemble visit will take place over the New Year period.
Good news all round at the beginning of the season of goodwill – and I thank all concerned for helping the Solomon Islands.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
