IKI RECOGNIZED SU’U MOLI’S CONTRIBUTION TO MELANESIAN OCEAN RESERVE (MOR) CAMPAIGN

The Su’u Moli community on Ulawa Island has received appreciation support from the Islands Knowledge Institute (IKI) as a gesture of saying thank you to the community’s contribution to the Melanesian Ocean Reserve (MOR) campaign in 2025. The handover was held on Tuesday, 20th October 2026.

The assistance includes meeting chairs, a table, a laptop, a printer, a 3KW generator, seven solar street lights and two grass cutters. These items were provided in response to requests and priorities identified by the Su’u Moli community to strengthen its local leadership, improve community facilities and support everyday community activities.

The meeting chairs, table, laptop and printer will help community leaders carry out administrative work more effectively, prepare and print important documents, maintain community records and organize meetings and discussions. The generator will provide a reliable source of electricity during community meetings, planning sessions and other activities, particularly when access to electricity is limited.

The installation of seven solar street lights will make important community areas, pathways and shared spaces brighter at night. Improved lighting will help community members move around more safely after dark, provide greater visibility around public spaces and contribute to a safer environment for women, girls, children and other residents. It will also allow communities to use shared facilities more comfortably during evening activities.

Meanwhile, the two grass cutters will assist community members in maintaining public spaces, clearing overgrown grass around shared facilities and keeping the community environment clean, accessible and presentable.

Together, these resources will strengthen Su’u Moli's ability to manage its own community affairs, improve shared facilities and create a safer, cleaner and more organized environment. More importantly, the support reflects IKI's response to the needs and priorities raised by the community, recognizing that local communities should have a leading voice in identifying the assistance that will make a meaningful difference in their lives.

The initiative reflects IKI’s commitment to building respectful partnerships in which community contributions are acknowledged and valued.

Chairman of the Su’u Moli Community House of Chiefs, Bruce Lee Kailohu, welcomed the support and thanked IKI and the community members who contributed to the MOR campaign, and those who helped make the initiative possible.

The project was facilitated with support from the North Ulawa Ward Development Committee (WDC), working alongside the Su’u Moli Community House of Chiefs to coordinate the delivery of the agreed assistance.

The support reflects an important principle of community partnership, when receiving  something from a community, there should also be meaningful ways to give back. Whether communities share their photographs, knowledge, stories, cultural values or time, their contributions help organisations communicate important messages and achieve their objectives. Recognising these contributions through practical community support is one way to demonstrate appreciation, build trust and ensure partnerships deliver benefits beyond the immediate campaign.

IKI acknowledges the Su’u Moli community for its contribution to the 2025 MOR campaign and its continued collaboration. Through this initiative, IKI hopes to reinforce the value of partnerships that recognise community contributions, practise reciprocity and create meaningful benefits for the communities that help make its work possible.

ENDS

Islands Knowledge Institute Comms