Some visits stay with you long after you leave.
On May 13th 2026, our Head Office team had the privilege of visiting the Red Cross Special Development Centre (SDC) in Honiara to hand over a donation of stationery supplies. This is Solomon Islands’ founding school for children with special needs.
What began as a simple request from Acting Principal Louisa for a carton of A4 paper became an opportunity for us to do a little more.
The Centre has been quietly serving this community for over 30 years, since establishing in 1977. While over 100 students have been enrolled this year, around 70 attend regularly, others have dropped out over time due to challenges with transport, school fees and other individual circumstances. The students who do attend, live with a range of disabilities including deafness, mutism, autism, Down syndrome, and visual impairments, with some students managing more than one disability at a time.
The Principal highlighted that the number of students presenting with autism is growing, and the Centre is doing its best to keep up. Some students are also referred from primary schools around Honiara, especially those experiencing a slower learning pace and need a more supported environment. Several special needs students have been at the Centre for over 10 years.
We were lucky to arrive on their Life Skills Day, where students learn through cooking, sewing, gardening and more, based on their interests. On this day, the cooking group was learning how to prepare a traditional Solomon Islands motu. The joy, focus and pride on their faces was something else entirely.
It was a meaningful visit, but also a tough reminder that we all need to be doing more to support the development of those in community with special needs.
To the teachers, the students, and Acting Principal Louisa, thank you for welcoming us so warmly. You are doing extraordinary work.
