Three final-year Bachelor of Agriculture students from the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) have successfully completed their one-month work attachment with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Solomon Islands.
The students began their attachment with ADRA’s Sustainable Economic and Agricultural Solutions (SEAS) Project from 9 February and completed the program on the 6 of March 2026.
The purpose of the work attachment was for the students to observe how ADRA implements its field extension programs and agricultural development activities in rural communities.
This experience also allowed them to gain practical insights that’ll contribute to their final academic reports before graduating later this year.
The students, during their work attachment, joined the SEAS Project team to attend cocoa training in Sali. They were also involved in the cocoa fermentation process and assisted with cocoa farm maintenance, which enabled them to gain valuable hands-on training and practical experience during their attachment.
Speaking to ADRA Communication Media Tome Luda, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity provided to him by ADRA Solomon Islands.
“During our one -month work attachment with the SEAS Project, the three of us learned a lot that is directly related to our studies as agriculture students’’
“Many of these topics were taught in the classroom, but this attachment gave us the opportunity to gain hands-on practical experiences in the fields, which helped us learn even more, ’He said.
Alice Ngunu, another final-year student, said the experience was an eye-opener for her acknowledged ADRA Solomon Islands for the opportunity provided.
“This was my first time to come out into the field and see how extension fieldwork is done”
“It has been a great opportunity for me to learn practical skills in the fields that’ll help me in my future career in agriculture,” she said.
She added that most of their studies had focused on theory, and the field experience helped bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice.
Clarissa Remobatu also acknowledged ADRA Solomon Islands and the SEAS Project Team for providing the opportunity.
“I came straight from high school into my Bachelor of Agriculture studies without any real field experience’’
“This training has helped me to see the practical side of agriculture and will assist me in deciding my future path in this field,” she said.
“I would like to thank ADRA SEAS Project for allowing us to be part of this field visits. It is very important for our final-year report, which we’ll submit to our lecturer based on our field experience.”
Patrick Mesia, SEAS Project Manager, thanked the students for completing their work attachment with ADRA, saying their contribution was very helpful and beneficial to the project.
“These students have contributed a lot to our project, especially at the Betikama project site, where they helped replant cocoa seedlings in the nursery to replace those that had died.
“They also assisted us with the maintenance of cocoa trees at Betikama, which really helped the project team. I would like to thank them for their time and effort while working with us,” Mr Mesia said.
The SEAS Project was funded by DFAT which an expansion of the SOUL Cocoa initiative that aims to support 2,500 cocoa farmers across Guadalcanal, Malaita, Vella Lavella, and Honiara in achieving sustainable livelihoods and economic resilience through improved yields, training in best practices, and access to quality planting materials.
