Hello! My name is Shannon Sogavare and I'm from Solomon Islands (Choiseul & Malaita Province) I'm 16 years old and currently studying in Betikama Adventist College doing my grade 11.

In July 2019, I embarked on a life changing adventure. It sounds cliché, hyperbolic, but I mean it. Sitting at the Adelaide Airport, waiting for my flight to Port Moresby (POM) via Brisbane, I started to panic. What was I doing? I knew almost nothing about the country I was about to spend 6 months in. I had only recently learned that Papua New Guinea was Australian territory until 1975. What was the food like, the weather, the people?

I was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. We lived in a suburb called Springwood. A very friendly neighbourhood, close to the schools I attended. I was very fortunate growing up, I had hard-working parents that provided a very comfortable lifestyle for us. We were lucky to be able to travel quite often and visit our Island home Rarotonga once a year.

Welcome, Welkam, Halo Oloketa, Noa'ia, Mauri, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Tālofa, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Mālō nī, Talofa lava, Tēnā koutou katoa, Bienvenue, Maeva.