THE Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) on Thursday, 27th February 2025, received a kind donation of football equipment from the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat.
The football equipment was handed over by the Director General of MSG, Mr. Leonard Louma (OBE), and received by Permanent Secretary Dr. Franco Rodie and will be distributed to three selected primary schools.
Dr. Rodie, in appreciation of the kind donation, acknowledges Director General of MSG, Mr. Louma, for recognizing the importance of sport as a foundation for students to learn through physical education and develop their skills and teamwork.
He said Solomon Islands is a soccer-mad nation, and providing football equipment to schools is a way to ensure that all students get an opportunity to play football and other sports of their choice.
“My ministry is clear that if you want to build a house, you do not start with the roof. This contribution of equipment for three of our schools will ensure that at a primary level, we encourage our students to be physically active and develop their skills and teamwork,” PS Rodie said.
In his response, the Director General, Mr. Louma, said that this is the first time for the MSG Secretariat to give back to the country through sport.
He said Solomon Islands had hosted a successful MSG Prime’ Ministers’ Cup in December 2024, and he wanted to give something back to the country.
“While it was a small contribution, it was nevertheless the first time the MSG Secretariat had done this, and it would continue to do so.
“The MSG PM’s Cup was hosted by Vanuatu in 2022, New Caledonia in 2023, and the Solomon Islands last year and will be hosted by PNG in 2025 as part of PNG’s Independence Celebrations. Each host has invested in this event, and I wanted to ensure that we, as the Secretariat, contribute something back to ensure the ongoing development of football. This is an important part of our Melanesian culture and comes from our heart,” he said.
