The Lau-Mbaelelea Constituency (LBC) office, under the esteemed leadership of Honourable Ben Maenu’u, continues to touch and make a positive impact on the lives of its constituents through CDF-supported initiatives.
Most recently, the office delivered 100 fiberglass paddle canoes to fishermen in the constituency.
The constituency office funded this project under the productive sector with $700,000 from its 2024 CDF budget allocation of $3.88 million.
Not only does the LBC office, support home-based constituents, but it also extends assistance to families residing in Honiara who are involved in fishing activities through similar projects aimed at improving their livelihoods.
Constituency Development Officer (CDO) Moses Lugitau, on behalf of Hon. Maenu’u and the constituency office, explained that the canoes were provided according to the needs and requests of the people.
“These canoes will serve as an important lifeline for many of our coastal families and communities who depend entirely on fishing or the sea for their daily income and survival.
“Under Hon. Maenu’u’s leadership, he has embraced every constituent of Lau-Mbaelelea equally. It is his firm commitment to addressing the basic and immediate needs of his people and to continuing support for community initiatives that benefit everyone.”
This initiative aims to empower fishermen, enabling them to generate income and support their livelihoods.
Beneficiaries of the fishing project, including LBC Honiara-based recipients, expressed profound gratitude to Hon. Maenu’u, the constituency office, and the national government through the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) for this generous support.
They said that such support is not only timely but will also go a long way in sustaining lives and bringing maximum benefits to the recipients, especially through fish marketing.
“This is the first time we have received such support from LBC,” Peter Hare, who spoke on behalf of the LBC Honiara recipients, said.
The LBC Honiara recipients are mostly fishermen at the popular Maromaro Market and roadside fish stalls along the East Honiara Highway, who venture out daily to provide for their families and also contribute to Honiara’s food security.
“These canoes will enable us to generate sustainable income, particularly at a time when the cost of living remains high in the city,” Mr. Hare stated
Chief Samson Nokea of Goulu community also shared similar sentiments.
He said, “Hon. Ben, you have wiped tears from our eyes. You have answered our cries. First, you gave us water and again canoes, a means to get food from the sea and mainland. These canoes are our legs, enabling us and our children to get food from the ocean or our mainland gardens,” Chief Nokea emotionally shared his community’s appreciation to the constituency office, Hon. Maenu’u, and the national government.
“These canoes are not merely materials but vital tools that will enhance our wellbeing and contribute to improved income and food security for our families. Indeed, they will serve to strengthen our livelihoods as regular sea-goers.
“Thank you, Hon. Ben, for the support and for uplifting our livelihoods,” expressed one recipient from Suava community.
Communities and wards receiving canoes under the fishery initiative are Suava, Ma’anabu, Tara’ana, Ward 10, LBC Honiara-based residents from Burnscreek, and Foueda. For the Foueda community, their canoes will be shipped via the first available transport in due course.
These modern manufactured canoes replace fragile traditional dugouts, offering lighter weight, durability, smoother sailing and safer trips for fishermen.
In Solomon Islands, where fishing sustains over 50 percent of coastal communities livelihooods, these canoes boost income and food security for the people of Lau-Mbaelelea Constituency.
CDF is a national program of the Solomon Islands Government (SIG), administered by MRD, and implemented through the 50 constituencies in the country, purposefully to improve the social and economic livelihoods of all Solomon Islanders.
The Ministry of Rural Development’s vision is to ensure all Solomon Islanders are empowered for self-sufficiency, improved livelihoods, and sustainable development.