Three students from Solomon Islands National University have gained firsthand field extension experience through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Solomon Islands.
The final-year Bachelor of Agriculture students were attached to ADRA’s Sustainable Economic and Agricultural Solutions (SEAS) Project and participated in their first field extension activity at Sali, North Guadalcanal, on February 10.
During the visit, the SEAS Project team conducted cocoa refresher training. The training included 10 new cocoa farmers from Gilo in Northeast Guadalcanal, who were invited to learn alongside the Sali cocoa farmers as part of a peer-to-peer learning approach.
The students observed how ADRA implements its field extension program and gained practical insights that will contribute to their final academic reports before graduation.
One of the students, Tome Luda, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity. “We have spent most of our time learning theory, but today we were able to see and experience what field extension work really is,” he said.
Alice Ngunu, another student, said the experience was an eye-opener for her. “It has been a great opportunity for me to learn practical skills that’ll help me in my future career in agriculture,” she said.
Clarissa Remobatu acknowledged ADRA Solomon Islands and the SEAS Project Team for the experience.
“I came straight from high school into my Bachelor of Agriculture studies without any real field experience,” she said.
“This training has helped me see the practical side of agriculture and will assist me in deciding my future path in this field.”
During the training, the students were able to listen to discussions on cocoa production and community implementation strategies. They conducted interviews with farmers as part of their report preparation.
The cocoa refresher training was conducted under the SEAS Project, which is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, supported by ADRA Australia and implemented by ADRA Solomon Islands.
