Solomon Islands: Mothers’ Union Bildim Ap & Positive Parenting Program

Participants in a Positive Parenting workshop. © ABM/Vivienne For, 2013.

The Mothers’ Union (MU) is a strong arm of the Anglican Church of Melanesia, with around 16,000 members in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

These programs aim to train the volunteer leaders of the Mothers’ Union with skills that they can share with others and empower local branches of the MU to facilitate positive change in the communities they serve. In 2014 the Dioceses of Ysabel, Malaita, Central Solomons, Hanuato’o, Temotu and Central Melanesia were covered with over 250 people trained.

The Bildim Ap initiative is aimed at capacity building for the Mothers’ Union to deliver services to the grassroots community in Melanesia, including the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The training centres on leadership, management, group facilitation and financial literacy, enabling MU women and men to work even more effectively in their positions.

Once this training has been completed, the MU leaders will implement the Positive Parenting program throughout the dioceses. This program provides an opportunity for wives, husbands and other family members to come together with the wider community and speak about ways of promoting more positive interaction within the family unit, which can then translate to the community at large.

Rolling out both of these training programs really depends on funding. The costs of the trainers’ travelling in the Solomon Islands are high, as are the supplies needed to facilitate the workshops.

“People are waiting for this program,” said Mary Vunagi, who was coordinating the program in 2014. “We’re training volunteer leaders and people in other dioceses are hoping they get to learn from it.”

Mary believes the program will lead to societal and behavioural changes and hopes that like the statistics show, this ensures levels of physical, verbal and sexual violence within households are reduced due to heightened knowledge about good practices.

Support of these projects will enable leaders at all levels to facilitate other MU programs achieving greater effectiveness as well as educating locals about health and parenting issues.

SB012YC – Mothers’ Union Bildim Ap & Positive Parenting Program needs $60,500 in 2015 (tax-deductible)

 

HOW TO DONATE

You can make an online donation to this project by selecting Solomon Islands: Mothers’ Union & Positive Parenting from the full project list.

Alternatively, for donations by cheque/money order (made out to the Anglican Board of Mission – Australia), telephone or email, view contact details here. Please don’t forget to include the project name and/or code with your payment details.