REACHING OUT WITH LOVE

 

Harapa village at sunset on Shortland Islands, where the boats from Gizo were heading to on New Year's Day.

EX TEACHER REACHES OUT TO GRIEF STRICKEN FORMER STUDENT

By BIG PAT

THE man who taught heartbroken boat skipper Steven Kaurawa in school has reached out to console his former student.

Grief stricken Steven, who lost his wife Rosemary and daughter Tekavita in the Gizo Tragedy on January 1, was a former student at Tuha Junior High School.

Former teacher and now Solomon Islands deputy Director of Immigrations, Chris Akosawa said: "Steven was my student at Tuha between 2002-03 on Shortland Islands.

"He was a very friendly, outgoing person and loved the sea. To see him heartbroken by this very tragic circumstance is very sad.

"My family share your sorrows, we uphold you in prayer, we also send you, our love."

Tuha Junior High School is now the Saint Don Bosco Secondary School.

Government officers returning from the PNG-SI border.

Steven, a mechanic and boat skipper was taking his family and in-laws from Gizo Island to Harapa on Shortland Islands when disaster struck on New Year’s Day.

Steven, his wife Rose and daughter Tekavita were on the 75hp outboard motor driven 23-foot banana boat. 

Another boat, powered by twin 40hp engines was in the convoy to Shortlands.

Halfway across the ocean, the twin engines stopped and both dinghies had to come together.

Being the only mechanic among the group, Steven tried to get the engines to restarted but to no avail.

As the weather was getting rough, Steven said good bye to his wife and daughter. He remained on the other dinghy to fix the engines.

A young man named Williko took over as stand in skipper, and the 75hp headed for Shortlands and into a huge raging storm.

No-one on that boat including Steven’s family survived. The search for the missing was called off last Friday. Only one body has been recovered.

Chris Akosawa talking to Harapa village leaders during a recent visit on border issues. Buin in South Bougainville is very close to Shortland Islands. The people on the southern tip of Bougainville have close traditional and family ties with Shortland Islanders.

Steven managed to fix one engine on the other boat, which was to save the lives of all onboard.

Despite being hit by heavy seas and swamped three times, Steven’s experience kept the boat afloat and going till the next morning.

Akosawa, now a senior public servant, said that the government needs to seriously consider making boat travel safe by enforcing maritime rules and regulations on safety.

This includes compulsory carrying of life jackets and engines must be thoroughly checked before long-distance open sea travels.

Akosawa said overloading of small boats is also one of the main causes of boats and people being lost at sea.

He appealed to his people to observe weather conditions before putting out to sea.

"If the weather is bad, don't go, Listen to the weather reports for the day before you attempt to travel."

UPDATE: A badly decomposed body of a child was found on Sunday.