The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), through its Disaster Ready Church (DRC) Project, has supported Kukudu Adventist College (KAC) and the Western Sub-Regional Office (WSRO) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Solomon Islands through its livelihood program, providing agricultural tools and vegetable seeds.
Under Project Activities output 3.3 and output 3.4 of the DRC Project, itโs outlined that the project will identify suitable livelihood initiatives for three SDA mission boarding schools and three churches established within the past year under the DRC project. Itโll also provides livelihood training and nurseries for start-up initiatives at selected sites as part of income-generating activities for sustainability.
As part of this initiative, the DRC Project has identified KAC and provided the following agricultural tools and seeds support: 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.
Similar supports also provided to WSRO where they received supports including Melon seeds, 2 watering cans, 2 spray cans, 2 garden spades, and fertilizer to help establish their livelihood activities.
These agricultural items and seeds were funded under the DRC Project and officially handed over on Wednesday, 17 June at WSRO in Kukudu by DRC Project Coordinator Denver Newter and ADRA Emergency Support Staff, Mr. Raynick Jack.
Speaking during the official handover of the items, DRC Project Coordinator Mr. Denver Newter urged Kukudu Adventist College (KAC) and the Western Sub-Regional Office (WSRO) to take good care of the agricultural tools and make full use of them by starting income-generating livelihood activities.
“The project has supported you with these agricultural tools and vegetable seeds, which cost the project thousands of dollars to procure. Project would like to see these tools and seeds benefit both the school and the sub-regional office through income-generating activities.
โYou are fortunate to have been selected by the project and receive this assistance, and we encourage you to use it wisely, โMr Newter said.
ADRA Emergency Support Staff Mr. Raynick Jack also encouraged KAC and WSRO staff to maximize the support provided through the DRC Project.
“We are here to support you with these agricultural tools and vegetable seeds so that you can establish and strengthen your income-generating livelihood programmes. Through this project, ADRA would like to see your commitment after the handover of these itemsโ
โPlease use them wisely and begin your livelihood activities. The produce can generate income for your institution and provide food security during times of disaster when access to food may be limited. Having vegetables available will help support both staff and students during such times, โMr Jack shared during handover.
Associate Director of WSRO, Pastor Jason Gulea, thanked ADRA Solomon Islands and the DRC Project for their support.
“I would like to acknowledge ADRA SI for this initiative in providing us with these agricultural tools and melon seeds. It has always been our desire to start growing melons, but we did not know where to begin or where to source seeds, tools, and fertilizers.
โBut With the support from ADRA SI, weโll now organise our families on campus and begin implementing our livelihood programme here through supports provided to us by ADRA,โโPr Gulea stated in his remarks after handover.
KAC Agriculture Teacher Mr. John Apisio also expressed his appreciation for the timely support provided to the Agriculture Department and the school farm.
“I would like to thank ADRA SI for this timely support to our school. These items will greatly assist our school farm, especially as we have faced challenges with limited equipment such as wheelbarrows, garden spades, and nursery net for our gardensโโ
“We will take good care of these items provided through the DRC Project and use them to improve vegetable production on our school farm. This livelihood initiative will support our department and help generate income for the school,โโMr Apisio said when receiving the tools and seeds.
Meanwhile, the DRC Project has also improved and renovated sanitation facilities at the WSRO, including the construction of access ramps at the office entrances and sanitation facilities to improve accessibility for the WSRO.
The DRC Project was funded by the South Pacific Division (SPD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Trans Pacific Union Mission (TPUM), and the Solomon Islands Mission (SIM) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
ENDS///
Photos Attached and Caption
Raynick Jack (From Far right to Far left and Middle KAC and WSRO Staff) Denver Newter handover the Agricultural Tools and Agriculture seeds to KAC and WSRO Staff Infront of WSRO in Kukudu, Western Province on Wednesday 17 June 2026.
