The Solomon Islands

Context at a glance

With the economic crisis in Asia in recent years, the Solomon Islands' economy took a steep downturn, with national output declining by about 10 percent in 1998. Though the economy had begun to recover by 1999, the closure of the nation's largest palm oil plantation again stunted progress.

Habitat for Humanity programme

HFH Solomon Islands was formed in 1999. Habitat houses are replacing traditional timber-framed houses with walls and roofs made from leaves of the sago palm tree. Traditional houses, while cool and beautiful, must be rebuilt every two to seven years, and as the sago leaves deteriorate, the homes are no longer weatherproof. Traditional houses also become infested with insects and are not durable enough to withstand strong storms and occasional cyclones.

HFH Solomon Islands will be providing an opportunity for whole communities to transform the condition of their housing. Some affiliate communities will be able to take advantage of their wealth of local forest resources by milling their own timber through the use of portable saw mills.

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