The Solomon Islands is a country in the continent of Oceania. It is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Australia. There are over 1,000 islands that make up this archipelago (a group of small islands closely scattered together).  The main islands have many mountains and volcanoes. Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, is on the largest island called Guadalcanal.

The climate in the Solomon Islands is harsh. It is hot and humid, with strong winds and heavy rains all year-round. Most of the country’s people are Melanesians – people native to the southwestern Pacific islands. There are many local languages. The different groups communicate using Pijin, a language based on English. Christianity is the main religion.

Most of the people live in small villages and work as farmers or fisherfolk. There are few roads, so people must travel by boat or walk for hours on foot. All this means that less than half the children attend primary school and even fewer go to secondary school. There is no mobile phone network, internet connection, or electricity in some places.

With support from Mission Together children in Australia the local catholic church built a boarding school, so that children from poor families can attend lessons every day. The children care for their environment too; the school has installed solar panels and solar powered batteries to provide their electricity.