Staff from Kukudu Adventist College (KAC) and the Western Sub Regional Office (WSRO) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at Kukudu in Western Province, have successfully completed a one-day Vegetables and Melon Farming Training to support their income-generating projects under the Livelihood Program.
The vegetable training was facilitated by Narety Bulehite and Francies Tulu Extension Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Gizo, while the Melon training was facilitated by local Melon Farmer Mr. Francies Panda, an Auxiliary Worker from Patupaele Adventist High School in South Kolombangara Island.
The training was held at the Western Sub-Regional Office (WSRO) in Kukudu on Wednesday 17 June 2026 and was attended by 12 participants from both Kukudu Adventist College (KAC) and the Western Sub-Regional Office.
The training was funded by the South Pacific Division (SPD), Trans Pacific Union Mission (TPUM), and the Solomon Islands Mission (SIM) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church through the Disaster Ready Church (DRC) Project.
The Vegetables and Melon Training was aimed to strengthen sustainability through livelihood training, nursery development, and income-generating activities for KAC and WSRO.
As part of this training support, KAC received 3 wheelbarrows, 9 banana spades, 3 rolls of nursery net, 9 watering cans, 30 packets of saladia seeds, 30 packets of pak choi seeds, 30 packets of bean seeds, and 30 packets of eggplant seeds.
WSRO also received support, including melon seeds, 2 watering cans, 2 spray cans, 2 garden spades, fertilizer and Disaster Kits containing stationeris and 5 Vest to assist in establishing its livelihood activities and during disaster times.
DRC Project Coordinator Denver Newter thanked the participants for attending the training, emphasizing its importance in supporting their livelihood projects.
โI would like to thank each one of you for taking the time to attend this livelihood training. This training is designed to support you in establishing and managing income-generating activities within your school and church compoundsโโ
โWe planned this training several weeks ago, and today (Wednesday 17 June) we have come together to learn from experienced trainers who are teaching the basics of vegetable and melon farming. These skills will help you start and develop your small livelihood projects and contribute to improving food security and income generation within your institutions,โ Newter said.
Teddy Kevin, Kukudu Farm Vegetables Supervisor, expressed his gratitude to ADRA Solomon Islands during the handover ceremony for the support provided to the school.
“KAC is very thankful to ADRA for providing this support and training, which has helped improve our knowledge of vegetable farmingโโ
“One area where we lacked knowledge was in establishing proper seedling nurseries, transplanting seedlings, and caring for them, especially as we didnโt have the necessary equipment. I would like to acknowledge ADRA Solomon Islands and the Ministry of Agriculture Extension Office in Gizo for coming to teach us the correct techniques for vegetable nursery management,” he added.
Associate Education Director of the Western Sub-Regional Office, Mr. Lyndon Lingo, also expressed his appreciation for the training provided by ADRA Solomon Islands.
โMany times, when vegetable farming training is conducted, I am usually busy and unable to attend. However, this training was very important, and it has personally motivated me to start a backyard garden after this trainingโโ
โI would like to thank the DRC Project through ADRA Solomon Islands for organizing this vegetable and melon farming training. It has enabled us to learn proper vegetable planning techniques as well as how to grow melons successfully,โ Mr. Lingo added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Francis Tulu, an Extension Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Gizo, thanked ADRA Solomon Islands for inviting them to facilitate the training.
โI would like to thank ADRA for inviting us to facilitate this important vegetable farming training for the staff of these institutions,โ he said.
โWe are here to help and support you in whatever way we can. We are happy to provide advice and technical assistance on how you can start and manage your vegetable farms, as well as improve areas that need further development,โ Mr. Tulu added.
Meanwhile, both the Western Sub-Regional Office (WSRO) and Kukudu Adventist College (KAC) plan to commence their income-generating farming projects in the coming weeks after receiving agricultural tools and vegetable seeds from ADRA Solomon Islands through the Disaster Ready Church (DRC) Project.
End with Photos and Captionsย ///////////////////////
– ADRA SI
