Christian Care Centre

The Christian Care Centre is the only refuge for women and children who are victims of violence or abuse in the Solomon Islands. It is managed by the Sisters of the Church of Melanesia. During the years of civil unrest, the Centre provided shelter to many vulnerable women and children. They believe that women play a crucial role in rebuilding peace, harmony and integrity of families and communities.

The Centre’s staff work with a range of different women and children who arrive at the refuge when they are frightened and traumatised. The Centre provides a secure place to live, counselling support, health care and advocacy services. It provides the women with an opportunity to rebuild their broken lives through encouraging them to take control and empowering them to break the cycle of abuse through a range of workshops and living skills programs.

Through the Centre’s community awareness program on child abuse, run primarily by the Sisters, they recently facilitated public education workshops in 14 villages with over 1,000 people attending. The local communities identified a range of commercial sexual exploitation of children (in exchange for money or goods), brought about by the presence of the logging industry. Child prostitution was the most prominent type of exploitation; there was also evidence of children entering or being ‘sold’ into early marriage by parents and underage girls becoming pregnant.

The Christian Care Centre continues to be a home for the victims and a voice for the voiceless.

Here are some of the ways your gift will be used:

  • $1,000 will help provide staff with social work training to equip them with skills required to manage the Centre
  • $2,000 will help facilitate 3 community awareness workshops on child abuse to prevent child exploitation
  • $500 will help provide legal support for a woman with children experiencing domestic violence
  • $250 will help in providing emotional support through counselling for traumatised women and children

We need to raise $20,000* in 2008
You can Donate Now to this project by selecting SI 32
*Donations to this project are tax deductible for individuals.

To find out more: 2007 project information
For the most recent update: 2007 project update