Love to Grill for the Community

Meet Melinda Kenny, Solomon Islands

Melinda Kenny, 34, is the Centre Secretary of the Friendly Women’s Centre. Known among her members for her warm personality and strong organizational skills, Melinda plays a crucial role in helping the Centre run smoothly. Her responsibilities include recording attendance, supporting the Centre Chief during weekly meetings, and helping guide new members through SPBD processes.

Alongside her leadership duties, Melinda operates a successful street-food business - a trade she built from scratch. Every morning, before her children wake, she prepares hot meals to sell to workers, neighbours, and passers-by. Her food is popular for its flavour, freshness, and the sense of community she creates around it.

But as demand grew, Melinda faced challenges: she lacked proper kitchen equipment, struggled to keep up with orders, and needed consistent support to increase production. Her first USD $475.00 (SBD $4,000) SPBD loan provided the boost she needed. She purchased a new gas burner, pots, chopping boards, utensils, and safe storage containers. She also used part of the funds to hire someone to assist during peak hours, allowing her to produce more food, meet daily demand, and maintain quality.

Melinda hopes to expand from street-food sales to opening her own fully equipped restaurant in town, a place where she can create employment for young women, showcase local ingredients, and offer a safe, welcoming environment for customers.

Her leadership within the Centre has also grown. With the knowledge gained from training, she now helps guide other members through business planning and financial literacy exercises, strengthening the group’s overall performance.

“This opportunity gives me confidence - not just to grow my business, but to lead and help other women grow too. When one of us moves forward, our whole Centre moves forward.” - Melinda