FRESH out of University, Christa Palo is a law graduate working as an enumerator for the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, HIES, 2024-2025 currently implemented by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office. She works under Team One in Honiara.
This is her story.
I come from Malango in the Central Guadalcanal, the eldest of three children in a family of five.
I did my high school studies at Florence Young Christian School and later went on to do my law studies at the University of the South Pacific in Emmalus Campus, Vanuatu. In October 2023 I graduated with my Professional Diploma in Legal Practice.
I was just in my final semester, completing my studies when I saw the vacancy for the HIES on social media and decided to apply. It was only for twelve months and I wanted something to do while I search for a job in the justice sector when I leave school. The HIES seemed like a great opportunity. I was grateful when I was accepted.
Working in the field as an enumerator is a very interesting job. I get to meet a lot of people, different people with different backgrounds and from different levels of the society. Some educated and some are not. I have learnt a lot about them.
Like my other colleagues I face the same challenges as an enumerator in Honiara. Our respondents are mainly working people who do not have the time to sit down for an interview.
I often have to make appointments with them. Sometimes we arrange to meet in their offices and when I go, they are not there.
It’s a challenge trying to complete my questionnaires on time.
The work is intimidating as well. Some of my respondents are people who have senior positions in the national government, like engineers or nurses. I would get the feeling every now and then that I am disturbing them.
Then there are the dogs. Every house we go to we always check first if they have dogs. Today the house I went to had a big dog. I waited until they put him on a chain before I went to the house.
I have enjoyed being part of the HIES, but I hope to join the justice sector when the survey concludes later in the year.
The main reason I became a lawyer was because I would often witness my people at Malango arguing about land and being involved in logging issues. They were being lied to and I felt sorry for them. I thought maybe I can help if I become a lawyer. That is still my goal.
Working for the HIES has given me some very valuable experience.
As a lawyer, I will interact with people a lot. And I get to experience and grow in that in the HIES fieldwork, the skill of establishing and building rapport with my respondents. That is one major thing I have learned, and I am grateful.
The Household Income and Expenditure Survey, HIES, 2024-2025 is a 12-month survey under Component 1 of the Building Capacity in Statistics and Audit, CAPSA Project, a joint project between the Solomon Islands Government and the World Bank.
