RohinariRohinari is probably the oldest Catholic Mission station on Malaita, starting about 1912 by Fr. John Quakeau, a French Marist. Its 'patron' was a Ramo (a cultural killer, probably better referred to as a 'hit man') who made his living by killing those who were suspected as having seriously affected the social fabric of society at the time, e. g. poisoning someone or the equivalent. In all he did in more than 30, men, women and even children it seems. His name Harisimae Paina . |
Education a priority in the 60'sThe center ran a small school for the villagers around. From 1960 -1969, John Roughan, a dynamic missionary set about running a small school, about 175 kids in all. At the time feeding the boarding kids was problem number one. Fortunately the American Bishops sent in about US$9 million worth of surplus food - corn meal, bulgur, flour, cooking oil, milk powder and a host of other things -- to all mission stations, Anglicans and SSEC included. This food program lasted the full 10 years. It made a mighty difference in the feeding of hungry kids -- they actually had food in their stomachs for morning class and had only to do garden work in the afternoon hours ... a big difference than in previous years when the kids would spend more hours in gardening than they would in study. |
Dreams, dreams and more dreams.The people insisted that they had to have their own ship. Ships are too costly to run and make little profit; wouldn't it be better to charter a ship when needed than own one - but that fell on deaf ears. From 1960-1964 about 1,500 pounds (at the time pounds were used rather than dollars as the currency) and banked it all. The cheapest ship around, a rusting hulk owned by a Chinese, cost 20,000 pounds and we didn't even have 10% of that price. |
What is needed?The villagers now had to think of what they needed not so much what they wanted. That's when the idea of having their own medical facility started to root. Auki, which controlled the area's health, didn't think much of the Rohinari people and often gave them poor health service. If villagers would erect a major building, it was thought that Auki would have to pay more attention to them than they had in the past. |
Matara ni Tani hospitalSo after innumerable meetings and talks, it was decided in January 1968 to put up the Matara ni Tani hospital (Star of the Sea, named after a Marist parish in Honolulu which had donated US$10,000 which was the largest single gift at the time) and begin work in February. Eight months later Bishop Dan Stuyvenberg blessed the edifice with great rejoicing and partying which went on for three days. The building is a cement-steel construction with wards for men, women and childbirth as well as an outpatients ward. It cost about $250,000 in 1968 dollars which would easily convert to more than a million in present day dollars. Of course there were no labour costs since the great bulk of work had to be donated. Only the material costs of steel frame, cement, roofing iron, paint, timber, etc. etc. had to be met. By working together for the first 8 months of 1968, with the help of overseas donors and their own small money, they build a major health centre in a place that had nothing. This steel-frame cement building--35 meters long and 20 meters wide--stood the test of time. For over 3 and half decades of work, the Matara Ni Tani Clinic has served the medical needs of the whole of West Are'are as well as villagers from Dorio, Kwaio, South Malaita and East Are'are. |
 Matara Ni Tani was built at the end of the beautiful Are'are Lagoon where, if the doctors and nurses medicine could not cure, then the very peaceful experience of the lagoon would certainly do the job. Over the years thousands of patients not only were treated as in-patients but many hundreds were admitted to the Clinic's four major wards. |
 Vision a realityA rural people's wildest dream, their vision became a reality on 7 October 1968. However, 35 years of wear and tear, thousands of patients using its facilities and the weather--rain, scorching sun and salt spray--rusted roofing iron, corroded louver blades, weakened timber and a great many other things. The elements were wearing the building down. The Japanese government, however, came to the rescue of the villagers this year. A local building firm, Bolmar Plumbing and Building, won the contract (worth more than $369,000) completely renovating the whole building before the 7 October 2003 dateline. Bolmar kept its promise, completed a total refurbishing of the building (as seen in the photos) and finished the work in time for the 35 anniversary earlier this week. Matara Ni Tani looks as good as it did when it first opened in 1968. |
 The Japanese government sent its First Secretary, Mrs.Atsuko Orimoto, over to receive the keys to the newly refurbished building so as to hand them back both to the Nurse in Charge as well as the local Health Committee. Provincial health authorities, local church leaders, Honiara residents closely involved with the Clinic as well as hundreds of villagers were present for the handing over ceremony and the great feast which took place hours after the official ceremonies. |
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