The NSW MPs headed by President Hon John Ajaka on Thursday 19th April 2018 made a historic visit to two communities in the West Guadalcanal constituency.
Communities of Lambi and Verahue were so privilege and delighted to receive the New South Wales MPs right in their village.
The trip took approximately an hour drive from the capital Honiara to Visale and then another hour boat ride from Visale to Lambi.
Although the weather was not so kind, the delegates who were divided in three boats insisted to go and they seem to enjoy most of it, especially boat riding on a rainy and bumpy swells of the west Guadalcanal Sea.
A group of men dressed in traditional warriors costume welcomed the delegates as they safely landed on the beautiful white sandy beach of Lambi. Following the warriors welcome, they were led to a hut by a group of women dancers who also dressed in traditional grass skirts made of tree barks.
Local chiefs of Lambi community presented to the NSW President Hon Ajaka a Guadalcanal traditional shell money and chupu (a traditional gift of local food and a pig) as a sign of respect to any leader (both local or foreign) who visited their community.
You can tell from the villager’s happy faces that they appreciated so much the visitation of the New South Wales MPs in their village.
“This is history for us since we hardly have such visits from any leaders or delegates overseas to our shores” a Lambi chief told the delegates.
All the rest of the NSW MPs were also presented with traditional woven baskets each to take back with them as souvenirs.
President Ajaka thanked the Chiefs and the Lambi community for the warm welcome accorded to his delegation and for the gifts they received as well.
“I’m planning to make such constituency visit an annual thing, that’s once in a year” Hon. Ajaka assured the people of Lambi.
“I’d love to spend a night sitting by the fire and experience the rural setting however time did not allow me for that, probably next time.”
Hon. Moses Garu also took that moment to thank the Lambi community for their preparation to host the delegation and for that he donated a sum of $3000 for the community as a token of appreciation.
After the chupu ceremony at Lambi, the NSW MPs took another 15 minutes boat ride to Verahue community where they were also greeted to a heroic welcome.
At Verahue village, the NSW MPS were shown some of the assistance given to the community by their Hon MP Moses Garu. This include a new Church building, a new kindergarten classroom, a three tone truck and a coconut oil crushing mill.
Following the site visits around the village, the delegation were farewell with two hymns sung beautifully by the Verahue choir before they head to Visale to finally board vehicles for Honiara. Such a visit is basically to show the visiting NSW MPs to see for themselves what a rural constituency set up looks like.
It was made possible through dialogues between the National Parliament Civic department and the West Guadalcanal MP Hon Moses Garu who is also the Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, to host the NSW delegation at his Constituency.