The Provincial Premier of Malaita, Hon. Elijah Asilaua, formally opened the Training of the Trainer Workshop today in Auki, Malaita Province. The five-day training funded by MPGIS’s Integrated Economic Development and Community Resilience project (IEDCR) aims at empowering officers from nine provinces, MECDM, and MPGIS, to be able to conduct training for members of the WDCs and the Ward Support Officers in the 173 wards in the country. The Premier urged participants to take the training more seriously considering the cost and time involved. The training, he said, is very relevant to participants as it will give them the right skills and knowledge to be trainers.

The Deputy Secretary, Governance, Mr Robert Kaua, stated that the training of 70 officers will increase the number of provincial-level facilitators who will be using standardized materials for WDC training and at the same time reduce capacity development costs and ensure sustainability in the long run.

The five-day training shall cover participatory planning, social accountability framework, including gender inclusion, and conflict resolution. The training is divided into two batches, with the first batch from 10th-14th June, including officers from Malaita, Guadalcanal, Temotu, Rennell & Bellona, Isabel provinces, and MPGIS. The second batch’s training would start on June 17-21, 2024 for officers from Central, Choiseul, Makira Ulawa, and Western Provinces.

Two facilitators, Ana Sacramento and Rebecca Benson, the lead trainer, are accompanied by four mentees who recently underwent intensive training in Honiara for the TOT. The training marks the first TOT organized for component 2(a) of the IEDCR project, a project under the overall Provincial Governance Strengthening Programme (PGSP). The training is chaired by the PS of Malaita Province, Mr Eric George.

Premier for Malaita Province, Hon. Elijah Asilaua delivering his few remarks during the opening of the training

Malaita Provincial Secretary, Mr. George Eric, officiating the training

Deputy Secretary Governance for MPGIS, Mr. Robert Kaua delivering MPGIS’s remarks

The Hon. Premier and Provincial Secretary attentively listening in the training

International facilitators, Ana Sacramento and Rebecca Benson

Rebecca Benson facilitating a session

One of the Mentees, Stephanie Pugemoana, the Gender Inclusion Officer of the IEDCR assisting the facilitators

One of the mentees, Provincial Planning Coordinator for Choiseul Province, Cynthia Baripapa, assisting the facilitators

MPGIS Press