Lilly Simon and Jonathan Bia face daily challenges in the Solomon Islands as people who are deaf — often ignored, misunderstood or made fun of.
To help change this, they've created Going to the Market, a new children's book written in Solomon Islands Sign Language, English, and Pijin.
It's a project that shares the local signs for Island staples like taro and cassava and also aims to raise funds for Deaf athletes from Solomon Islands to attend the 2026 Australian Deaf Games.
They said growing up deaf in Solomon Islands had its challenges, where discrimination and lack of understanding often led to isolation and mental health struggles.
"Lots of people here in the Solomon Islands do not understand about deafness and a Deaf person's life," Lilly told Stories from the Pacific.
"Deaf people are called stupid or dumb and people laugh at us or ridicule us for the way we sign.
"It can create more problems with mental health, like feelings of shame and anxiety, feeling sad, especially if family support is far away.
"Deaf people can question their deaf identity, feel ashamed because hearing people don't respect them."
While deafness is one of the most common forms of disability reported in Solomon Islands, both said they faced obstacles when it came to accessing education and employment.
"I’ve graduated and have a certificate and I’ve applied for jobs in Honiara... I show it to lots of employers and they still won’t employ me," Jonathan told Stories from the Pacific.
"It’s hard to get a job because I apply and ask, and I don’t get a job. The companies say they are fully staffed - all the staff are hearing people. So, I just stay home."
"There will be many deaf people who have not been to school and just stay at home in their villages, isolated," Lilly agreed.
The sign for taro and cassava
Jonathan illustrated the pair's new book, while Lilly wrote it.
She said the driving idea was for hearing people to learn sign language and to fundraise for Solomon Islanders who are deaf to attend the Australian Deaf Games in 2026.
"I knew that Jonathan was an excellent artist," she said.
"The idea with a book about the market was so we could show the signs for Solomon Island fruit and vegetables and then people could learn the signs for these.
"Like taro, the sign for taro is scratching your throat because when you cook it and eat it you feel a tingling in your throat.
"The sign for cassava shows how you get the cassava and take the bark off it to prepare it. So that's the sign for cassava.
"They are true Solomon Islands signs."
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