Honouring Sister Rosa Catherine

Sister Rosa is a lifelong champion for the safety of women and children in Solomon Islands.  

After four years of service as the Centre Co-Ordinator for IWDA partner, Christian Care Centre (CCC), Sister Rosa Catherine has moved on to a new position training novices in the Anglican Community of Sisters of the Church CSC. Sister Rosa was appointed as CCC’s Centre Co-ordinator back in 2021, which for her, marked a full circle moment.  

Her connection to CCC began even before it opened in 2005. Back then, she saw that women needed refuge from gender-based violence in the community. Together with her colleagues, she began advocating that the church could provide such a service.  

Even though gender-based violence was, and still is, a huge issue in the community, convincing the church to open a refuge was no easy task. The archbishop believed that this action would exacerbate the problem, and other members of the community were concerned about drawing negative attention.  

“He said the Church hasn’t got any money and if you start that place, it would encourage more violence in the home,” Sister Rosa told IWDA staff.  

Sister Rosa and her colleague Sr Lillian were not to be deterred. They had the support of the other Sisters and Brothers and worked hard to build support amongst the broader community.  

Since its opening in 2005, the CCC has been a refuge for women and children escaping gender-based violence. As the Centre Coordinator, Sister Rosa has helped over 300 survivors to find safety and healing. 

After the centre opened, the church called Sister Rosa to a new posting. She spent the next fifteen years working across different communities in the Solomon Islands, but CCC always held a special place in her heart.  

In 2021, Sister Rosa had the chance to return to CCC, this time, at the helm as its Centre Coordinator. By then, the centre had expanded, new accommodation had been built, and new partnerships with organisations like IWDA had been formed.  Sister Rosa says aside from ongoing support from the church, partnerships with organisations like IWDA give the Sisters the resources they need to continue their work with women in the community.  

“The partnership with IWDA, donor partnership, is very helpful and supports capacity building, bringing CCC to the standard of today,” she said.  

Since her return, Sister Rosa has led the Centre’s mission to provide safe accommodation and psychosocial support to women and their children  

Even though the centre has grown and changed since Sr Rosa and Sr Lilian started their work over 20 years ago, the wellbeing of women and children in the community remains central to the organisation’s work.  

“Christian Care Centre is more like a second home for mothers and children, a safe home, and a second home too,” said Sr Rosa 

“When they come over it is very sad to see them stressful, tired, as long as they come to CCC it is more like healing for them, we provide them with basic needs and everything, and that’s the healing process begin(ning) with that as they enter CCC.”  

Sister Rosa is proud of the CCC’s work, the transformations they see in clients, and the commitment among the Sisters and staff that keeps them going throughout challenging times.  

“I think one thing is really support(ing) women and children, helping them in their cases, showing passion for them… and helping them to come out from their situations so that they can continue finding a best way forward for them in their future, and in their family and community as well.” 

Sister Rosa has already started a new position at the CSC training centre, which is close to CCC. She looks forward to using her experience working with survivors over the last 20 years to train up new Sister novices, so they can take this mission of serving women and children to their postings across Solomon Islands.  

She told IWDA staff that she hopes that she will be able to return to CCC again someday.  

“Hopefully, even though I go, I will come back,” she says.   

“Because, helping women and children, helping one particular soul struggling with her life is something that we need to help and support.”