A charitable organisation providing social welfare care in Solomon Islands is asking for more help amid growing demand for its services.
Hearts of Hope, 2015 Orphans Christmas in Malaita Province Solomon Islands. Photo: RNZI/ Courtesy of Hearts of Hope
Hearts of Hope works with orphans, widows, people with disabilities and the elderly in Malaita Province.
It covers 29 communities there, caring for close to 400 children and more than 100 elderly.
Founder Janet Justice Aihari said there were virtually no welfare services in the Solomons and traditional cultural support models were no longer a substitute.
"Like we have big families in the Solomon Islands and then they try to look after these orphaned children but then some times they left over [miss out] on things. And it is very hard here until parents or those that look after the orphans have a job or like we see that they are in need."
Ms Aihari said she had 10 staff who do their best to serve the needs of their members, even going out to the villages to provide live-in care for families but she said there was only so much they could do with their limited resources.
