The video was originally used in a larger presentation for our partners in Pacific countries who are managing diabetic foot wounds, as part of our Solomon Islands Diabetic Foot Management project. Since the world turned upside down in March, many…
The Solomon Islands are one of the top 12 countries in the world for diabetes prevalence, presenting a huge threat to the health of all Solomon Islanders. When properly managed, people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives, however…
Daniel and Lauren were in Suva, Fiji for part one of the Training of Trainers (ToT) course from the 25th to 29th of November. The ToT course assembles participants from Fiji (4 participants), the Solomon Islands (2) and Vanuatu (3)…
Building a skilled and knowledgable workforce is essential to increasing access to appropriate, local wheelchair services in the Pacific Region. Over the past 10 years, much of that training has been completed by international organisations, such as Motivation Australia, through a…
Charlie is a musician from Ngalitatai in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Motivation Australia was really pleased to visit him at home, at the end of 2018. As a teenager, Charlie had an accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury and…
Motivation Australia is grateful to have the support of many knowledgeable and experienced volunteers from a range of disciplines and countries. Recently one of our amazing volunteers, Debbie Wilson from Seating to Go, New Zealand traveled to Solomon Islands to…
In February Motivation Australia’s Katrina McGrath spent some time in the Solomon Islands where she worked with the Prosthetic and Orthotic graduates recently returned from Mobility India and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) personnel. Katrina spent time with Lower Limb Prosthetist…
Celebrating the Conference Theme: ‘Pacific Leaders creating Sustainable Services’, delegates from nine countries in the Pacific region, inclusive of those who use, provide and manage services worked together to share ideas, discuss and learn about how to build inclusive rehabilitation…
Motivation Australia, together with the Latter day Saint Charities (LDSC) have recently delivered wheelchair refresher training in three countries throughout the Pacific from September to November. Motivation Australia’s Katrina McGrath joined Chris Christensen a technical trainer from LDSC to co-deliver…
Life for people with disabilities in the Solomon Islands wouldn’t be the same without Elsie Taloafiri. A trained physiotherapist, Elsie is the Coordinator of the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Unit and Acting Director of the Rehabilitation Division. Motivation Australia’s Service…
Motivation Australia (MA) personnel have been involved in supporting wheelchair service provision in the Solomon Islands for many years. Last month MA trainers were pleased to return and continue to build on the capacity of personnel from the Rehabilitation Division…
Motivation Australia (MA) has been working with partners at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) to develop a customised Mobility Device Service (MDS) Data System for the Rehabilitation Division. The…
From 26th January – 14th February 2017 Ray Mines and Lauren Flaherty were in Honiara (The Solomon Islands) delivering the Intermediate level, WHO Wheelchair Service Training (WSTP-I) for fourteen trainees from three countries. The young girl pictured above was one of 16 people (8…
Motivation Australia is currently working in partnership with the Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in the Solomon Islands to provide technical support in strengthening their mobility device services. The Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Unit has…
Running a successful wheelchair (or any other assistive technology) service requires management level support. That means that managers need to understand how to plan, implement and manage their service; motivate personnel; and ensure that the right resources are in place…
Motivation Australia was pleased to work with the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE) on their first WHO Wheelchair Service Provision (basic) training course.
17 students on the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) diploma course successfully completed the training.
Motivation Australia with local partners the National CBR Unit held the WHO Draft Wheelchair Service Training Package (Intermediate Level) in Honiara.
The WHO training package focuses on the provision of appropriate manual wheelchairs for children and adults who require extra postural support.
The Solomon Islands are situated North East of Australia and made up of nearly 1,000 islands spread across thousands of kilometres of Ocean. The UN ranks the Solomon Islands on its list of Least Developed Nations. There are approximately 5,000 people who need a wheelchair in the Solomon Islands, most living in rural areas with limited access to roads. The remoteness and isolation of each island community makes the establishment of rehabilitation services for people with a disability very challenging.
In 2009 Motivation Australia established a pilot wheelchair service in the capital Honiara. In 2010 Motivation Australia launched the Access to Mobility programme, building on our successful partnership with the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Unit of the National Rehabilitation Hospital to extend wheelchair services to five provinces. Our partners would also like to increase the focus on gender equity and explore the reasons why more men have been able to access the pilot service than women.
For two weeks in November Motivation Australia’s Lauren Houpapa (Occupational Therapist) and Ray Mines (Wheelchair & Seating Designer) worked with national staff of the Solomons Islands CBR (Community Based Rehabilitation) unit in Honiara to trial the new Wheelchairs For Kids wheelchairs.
