Travel With Impact – Transporting Cattle Solomon Island Style

Life can be tough on an island with few roads.  The Solomon Islands is a country made up of over 900 islands, many of which are very remote and have little modern infrastructure. While visiting a rural training center on the island of Makira, we quickly learned that when the horn blew everyone was expected to run to the beach and help pull incoming boats up the steep sand beach before the next wave came in and flipped the boat. Having no roads, this was how we arrived, along with all other people and goods.

After having done this a number of times, we we’re stunned when one canoe was nearly too heavy for the group to pull to safety in time. Once out of harm’s way, we realized the source of the extreme weight was due to two full-grown cows lying with legs bound in the bottom of the canoe. The islanders had also developed an ingenious way to get the cows out of the canoe. Yes, necessity is truly the mother of invention. Seeing how difficult it can be for some people to have fresh milk, something most in America take for granted, was an eye-opening experience which made me all the more appreciative for the simple things in life.