‘For the Last, Lost and the Least’ - Guanellian Good Samaritans (GGS) in The Solomon’s Islands
On Nov 29th 2016, seven senior citizens, one adult and one little girl Lynda of four years, were escorted to Munda, Helena Goldie hospital for an assessment of different impairments of the faculties. They were Erio (Male , 73 years), Tebotuake (Female, 67), Kateia (F, 61), Mangarita (F, 69), Karotu (M, 62), Takaia (M, 63), Kona (M, 61) and Atanati (M, 52 ). Fr Mathias sdc escorted them, accompanied by Bro Dominic. This was an initiative by Mr. Atanati, the president of the recently formed Guanelilian Good Samaritans (GGS) of the Canaan chapter. (Atanati has the potential to become a lay leader of the GGS).
Since the Noro mission had been entrusted to the Guanellians (Servants of Charity) and from the time they started their work here, they had been looking for avenues to concretize their special charism, having earlier collected the details of the DaPs (differently abled persons), the care of the differently abled and the elderly. And this with members of the laity in the forefront of these social concerns.
In the month of October, when the priests went around to each Small Christian Community (SCC), to honour Our Lady of Rosary, by reciting the rosary, sharing the joys, radiance, sorrows and glories in their lives in tandem with those of the Lord, and celebrating mass with them, they broached the idea of GGS and suggested that each SCC propose two names to be members of the GGS in Noro Parish. And in Canaan, it was the elders of the sub parish, who proposed five names from each of the three areas, Rome, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. And one third of them take part regularly in all the meetings.
And Oct 24th, the feast day of St Luigi Guanella was another opportune moment to initiate them to the vision and mission of the saint, by celebrating mass, preaching, screening video clips on life of the saint and inaugurating the GGS. The people of the Noro parish also helped in putting up a cozy niche for the statue of St Guanella, that Fr Luigi SdC had managed to find and send the same by the ship. He is still travelling. (He will be installed when the Bishop visits the parish).
And the members of the GGS in both the places went around the parish areas, met the families and drew up a list of the urgent needs of the last, lost and the least. In the following weeks, they discussed on what could be done and the first response was the one of escorting of those with impaired faculties (hearing, speech and sight) to the hospital.
The hospital does not have specialized doctors/facilities, but technicians who would be able to identify the impairment and for any effective treatment/aids and appliances (hearing aid, spectacles, surgery etc.,), we were told to wait for the month of august next year (2017), when a team of specialists from Honiara/Australia would be visiting the islands.
To our inquiry if a medical camp, general or special, could be organized in the islands, the reply was the same. Wait for August 2017. The hospital has to plan and submit the proposal with a budget to the government for their approval in July that year for the proposed camp. The health care services is taking baby steps in the Solomon Islands. So too with all other services.
With some small snacks, all returned back to Noro and from there back to Canaan in the parish boat. The little girl child was sent to her residence in Noro. The PPC (parish pastoral council), a private operator of a bus in the parish, the CBR coordinator at Munda and members of the GGS and with the seminarian, contributed their mite in this care of the differently abled, aided on by the SdC missionary Fr Mathias and his colleague.
Effective rehabilitation through surgical correction, medical treatment and supply of prosthesis, inclusive education, employment of therapies, etc., is long way to come through here. Barefoot CBR (community based rehabilitation) workers, chosen from among the members of the GGS and trained in the nitty-gritty of CBR techniques ( based on Pavlov’s pyramid of needs or concentric cycle of wants and mechanisms to meet them etc.,) and with an incentive to encourage them, might go a long way in the meantime to fill up the gap.
There is a plan for a tour of carols troupe in December this year. Visit each home, sing a carol, pray with a blessing by the priest and making a collection might involve the Catholic community in their social concerns and encourage the GGS.
Guanella Mission Team would continue to journey with them in Solidarity
By Fr. Tony