First Aid training and supply support across the Pacific
SOS kicked off 2026 in the Hapi Isles!
We worked alongside incredible partners and communities, to coordinate efforts to support locally led PPRR (preparedness, prevention, response and recovery) across the Pacific — because when emergencies strike, communities are strongest when they’re equipped and ready.
Tracey Scanlan and Claire Lane spent a week in Honiara as part of a delegation researching community response to climate emergencies, in anticipation of the establishment of a Pacific Hub of like-minded organisations committed to bolstering logistical capacity in PPRR.
Together with the CEO of The HADR Institute (HADRI) Mitch King, Director of Pacific Guardians HQ Jethro Gilbert, and supported by our friends at Airlink, Inc.’s Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific Claire Leow, the delegation met with the NGO and humanitarian community in the Solomon Islands, coordinated through Honiara’s national CSO/NGO peak body, Development Services Exchange (DSE). DSE Director Jennifer Waite contextualised the unique complexities of disaster response in an archipelago made up of over 1000 islands - preparedness, prevention, response and recovery are strongest when they’re shaped locally — and it’s a privilege to support that work together, in place.
The Pacific Hub concept was borne of an identified need for coordination of anticipatory analysis and efficient access to shared services for NGOs and local CSOs, to strengthen localised humanitarian action. As a Hub member, alongside HADRI, and Pacific Guardians, SOS will contribute to long-term resilience against climate-related emergencies through with donations of non-pharmaceutical medical supplies - at the request of recipient partners - and the provision of training in the use of these supplies. Whilst in Honiara, SOS delivered some introduction to First Aid training sessions, and donated 26 fully equipped First Aid Kits, to local NGO members of DSE.
This training marks the beginning of a broader commitment to supporting communities across the Pacific. In 2026, SOS is scaling bespoke first aid training and supply support across the Pacific, strengthening local response capacity before disasters occur.
From Honiara, the team travelled to Vanuatu, meeting with the Vanuatu Association of NGOs (VANGO) and the Vanuatu National Disaster Mitigation Office, to better understand the Hub’s potential role in preparing for cyclones in the region. The focus is squarely on strengthening local responder capacity and improving overall coordination so that when disasters do strike, the response is as efficient as possible.
To support this objective, we also took the opportunity to visit our friends at ProMedical Vanuatu, the emergency medical division of Vanuatu Emergency Services Association (VESA), to understand where our supplies can make the biggest difference. We are grateful to be developing relationships with so many organisations who share our vision, because we cannot achieve sustainable development outcomes by working alone.
Together, we can make a difference.
