How your support funded a humanitarian trip around the Pacific 

We know how much our community loves visiting the Market. Whether you join us every week, once a fortnight, or simply whenever you get the chance, your support means a lot. The Market has always been about more than fresh produce and friendly faces; it is a place where community connection thrives. What makes your support even more special is seeing how it extends well beyond the Market and helps change lives. 

Every time you visit us, you are directly contributing to a wide range of community projects led by our founders, The Rotary Club of Hall. The Rotary Club is deeply committed to both local and international causes, most recently funding a paediatric specialist medical team to provide life-changing surgical care to children in the Solomon Islands. 

This dedicated team included surgeons Professor David Cosker and Dr Celine Hamid, Anaesthetist Dr Cliff Paedy, Theatre Nurse Mr Aaron Dalton, and Ward Nurses Mrs Gemma Sweeney and Mrs Liz Hearn. Each member generously volunteered their time and expertise, travelling to the Solomon Islands with a shared purpose- to improve health outcomes for children who would otherwise have little or no access to specialised surgical care. 

During the initiative, the hospital operated at full capacity. Surgical theatres ran from 8am to 8pm each day, with the visiting specialists working side by side with local island doctors and nurses. A key focus of the trip was education and skill-sharing, ensuring knowledge was passed on to support long-term improvements in paediatric care. Over the course of the visit, 30 operations were successfully performed. On any given day, more than 10 children were cared for on the ward in either pre-operative preparation or post-operative recovery, alongside many other seriously ill children, creating an incredibly busy and demanding hospital environment. 

The Solomon Islands currently has no resident paediatric surgeon, making these visits vital for children requiring specialised care. This trip marked the team’s 15th visit to the Solomon Islands, reflecting a long-standing and trusted partnership that has developed over many years between the visiting medical team, the staff at the National Referral Hospital, and the Chief of Surgery, Dr Rooney Jagillay. 

Thanks to the continued support of the Rotary Club of Hall and the loyal attendees of the Capital Region Farmers Market, this work will continue. The team is scheduled to return to the Solomon Islands again in April 2026, ensuring that children in need will once again have access to vital surgical services. 

Most recently, a handful of the team visited the Market, to see firsthand where the funding for their projects comes from. Dr Steven Lumasa, Paediatric Oncologist and RN Dora Gonu, Paediatric Nurse Educator, and Liz Hearn, RN Paediatric Nurse, all attended the Market (pictured above). We feel honoured that they made their way to us during their time visiting Australia and attending various hospitals and care providers.  

This project, along with the many others supported through the Capital Region Farmers Market, is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together. Your visit to the Market is not just a weekly tradition, it is a contribution to something far greater, helping to improve lives, strengthen communities, and create lasting change both locally and abroad.