1. Changing Lives

2. About 80% of Solomon Islanders don’t complete secondary school. They may live a large distance away from the nearest school making transport costs too expensive, or they may not be able to afford the fees.

3. Rural training centres (RTCs) provide training in areas such as carpentry, electrical repairs, mechanics, agriculture, animal-rearing, cooking and sewing.

5. For young Solomon Islanders, the RTCs are the most accessible and affordable means of technical and vocational training.

7. Many of the rural training centres need help with funds to purchase new equipment and tools. This centre at Vanga Point has a new workshop for teaching carpentry but no equipment.

8. This is a functioning carpentry workshop at the Don Bosco RTC in Tetere.

9. This is an outdoor classroom at St Dominic’s Rural Training Centre at Vanga Point. It is attached to a piggery.

10. Rose Tam is one of two female students in her mechanics course at St Peter’s Rural Training Centre in Gizo.

11. Young women are usually encouraged to enrol in courses in life skills, including cooking and sewing.

14. Adrian Heke, Betty-Ann Kamp and Fr Philip Gibbs Photos Betty-Ann Kamp Adrian Heke Fr Philip Gibbs