Anita Donahue came to the Solomon Islands about 20 years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer. Now at the age of 49, she still has some fond memories of Wanderer Bay, a place she was assigned to serve in community outreach programme.
Anita rekindles time at Wanderer Bay
Submitted by Arthur Wate on 9 June, 2005 - 10:37am. Weekend Magazine
Solomon Islands has had Peace Corps volunteers over the years. Anita Donahue was one. MOFFAT MAMU was in contact with her from the States.
ABOUT 20 years ago she was in the country as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Now at the age of 49, she still has some fond memories of Wanderer Bay, a place she was assigned to serve in community outreach programme.
She was with her husband David and together they served in Wanderer Bay. It was her first outing from her country after graduated from Marycrest International University, Davenport, Iowa in 1983, at age 27 with a degree in Social Work.
Her emphasis was on research, planning, and program evaluation, which aims to create successful, cost effective programs to fulfil community needs.
And at Wanderer Bay she was assigned as a Guadalcanal Province Community Development Officer, to improve government services to the area.
The biggest problem at the time she noted was shipping services but after her assignment ships called in more regularly.
She said, "I worked with the local chiefs, business leaders, and the women leaders, to establish the following programs with grants from the provincial government: Cultural Preservation; Emergency Medical Care; Business Opportunities, Youth Sports Program; and education for local leaders in operations of the national and provincial government."
It was a thrilling experience because from a well off country, here she landed at a rural setting where some of the things she had enjoyed in her home country were missing.
However she said, she was fortunate to be in the care of very good people, who taught her how to live and enjoy life in a new way.
"The people of the area built one of the finest houses for us. It was built in an area where the previous people had been swiped out by a tsunami.
"We were also given land to garden that had been a test site used by the Provincial Agricultural Officers.
"We lived separate from the other villages. At first we lived in Sugu, the Anglican village, in a very nice house used for visiting government officials.
"Our services included providing medical care, conducting planning meetings for new programs, and teaching classes.
"When we left, the big house was to be used as a meeting place, a site to store the cultural artifacts, and items provided by the province for the Women’s Club.
"Many artifacts were produced during an event that was organised to teach the young people the custom ways and stories," she recalled.
She told Solomon Star that the most remarkable moment during her stay in the country was at Ngella.
"When our Peace Corps group arrived on Ngella to stay with families and learn Pidgin for the first eight weeks, it was dark when we arrived by boat. The villagers met us with torches and the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.
"It was such beautiful music. We also learned a song on Ngella I will never forget that starts, ‘Kulanda’a bona gua, bona gua asa...’ I lived with Melcio and Helen, and their daughter. We ate pana," she said .
Her remarkable moment in Wanderer Bay was during her arrival.
"When I arrived in Wanderer Bay, it was daylight and we were accompanied by the Area Administration Officer (AAO).
"The looks on people’s faces were fierce and my legs were shaking. I decided to go look at the pigs to break the tension.
"While I was walking down the road, two local men told me that the villagers were in a tax revolt due to lack of shipping and other services.
"The AAO, who was standing behind us when we first arrived, was the tax collector. Also, only the Area Council Member knew that Peace Corps were coming, so many people were wondering why these white people had come to their place. This was the first I learned of the situation in the area," she recalled.
She told Solomon Star from the States that she could remember almost everyone she met during her stay in Solomon Islands, because everyone was important to her.
"I hold all of them dear in my heart," she said.
"Alice and Ronda in Sugu were my friends. KoMatilda Kekea, wanted to replace me as a village health aide and deserves special recognition as my close friend.
"Bartholomew Belei, was the Local Council Member who put forward the request for assignment of Peace Corps Volunteers to Wanderer Bay.
"I did my best to learn Ghari to be able to communicate with Stephen Sagamate, the paramount chief, and his wife KoEmiliana.
"Aloysio Tara and his wife, built a house next to us. Tara helped us in many ways, especially transporting people in medical emergencies in the province canoe.
"He even risked his life during a storm to travel by foot to Tangarare to send word by radio to Honiara that a British doctor was safe with us and would return after the storm," she said.
One of the locals Joseph Tangotsaku wrote Anita a letter a year and a half after she and her husband returned to the US informing them that there had been a big soccer tournament at Wanderer Bay.
"We were very happy to learn that youth sports was coming up in the area."
Wanderer Bay was an area being affected by the recent crisis and she felt distressed.
"I was so distressed and prayed constantly for the violence to stop.
"I worry especially for the women of the area. Once the youth see these things they become hardened and forget what their mothers taught them about life.
"It seemed even during the time I was there that things were going for worse. There was a big emphasis on youth programs, to try to keep the youth from going to Honiara," she highlighted.
She learnt about Wanderer Bay having took ownership of a new twin block classroom for their community High School forms one to three and she was overwhelmed about such achievement and congratulated the school board members and those who fund the project.
She said, the School Board members have obviously excelled in their posts due to this achievement and should be congratulated because it shows how the community has progressing step by step in building the primary school in 1984.
"I remember the dedication of the parents and how they set aside funds to be able to add to the school each year.
"I am thrilled to learn they now have a high school. The people there are dedicated to ensure the very best for the youth of the community, at great cost in terms of labour to acquire the goods necessary to create this facility" she expressed.
She even sent a photo of the classrooms back then, which she had, took during that time.
While she lived in Wanderer Bay she worked for a women’s group.
"I worked with a combined women’s group of the Catholics and Anglicans. They established a sewing group, bakery, and garden with support from provincial grants. We also learned together how to make soap from coconut oil. Items produced were sold at the local market," she said.
In Honiara she was the Project Manager for Mere ‘n Save fo Development, a week long event held September 15-20, 1986 at Town Ground.
It was led by Gloria Sibisopere, of the Government Information Service and was sponsored by all of the women’s groups in the country, Women’s Interests Division, NCW, YWCA, she highlighted.
The project involved several government ministries. Since it was the International Year of Peace, all of the churches were involved also.
She explained that Mere ‘n Save was about celebrating the contributions of women in all aspects of life, particularly the custom ways. Women who had never left their village, who held special knowledge, came from all the provinces.
International participants from NGOs came from Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, as many as 16 participants from Papua New Guinea. The Caribbean Area YWCA Secretary came all the way from Jamaica.
The international participants were organised by the World YWCA, represented by Ruth Lechte and Diane Goodwillie.
"It was also about looking at how to adapt new ideas from other places to improve the life of the community," she pointed out.
"Thousands of people attended the event. It focused on the following topics: Energy and Environment; Home and Business; Market; Health; and Agriculture.
"The week long event was followed by a conference of the participants to develop papers on various issues to be presented to the National Parliament and provincial governments.
"It was the first event held after a long period of national mourning following Cyclone Namu, she recalled.
During her stay she visited South Malaita on a holiday during her third year, to visit another Peace Corps Volunteer.
Today Anita has remarried and lived with her lovely husband Bob and three stepdaughters running their own business.
