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| | |  | Youth Challenge Australia is working towards the eighth Millennium Development Goal of creating a Global Partnership for Development in Vanuatu. | | | “The opportunity to look at my own life with the perspective gained from living in a different culture is the biggest gift I received from my time in Vanuatu and to my mind much greater assistance than I was able to give my friends on Tongoa. It has compelled me to live differently than before I went to Vanuatu and inspired me to reach out and create my own community at home.” - Carolyn Blomley, Vanuatu | | | | PROGRAM FAST FACTS: | | Location: | Vanuatu, South Pacific | | Duration: | 6 - 10 weeks | | Dates (approx): | July - August; December - February | | Project Areas: | Partnerships for Development, Education, Youth Development, Health | | | | | PROGRAM OVERVIEW: | YCA has been supporting communities and organisations in Vanuatu since 2001. We work in collaboration with Youth Challenge Vanuatu (YCV) to continue to identify and support communities that require assistance in Vanuatu, and to work with them towards a sustainable future. | | | | RECENT PROJECT ... | | | | Volunteers have been working on the beautiful island of Tongoa, the largest island in the Shepherd Island group. It is heavily vegetated, and has black sand beaches with a densely forested interior. | | | Working with a group of Ni-Vanuatu youth, the volunteers split their time between two construction projects on the island. The volunteers work on the construction of a library and the renovation of a classroom in the community of Kuntundaula. They also contribute to the construction of two classrooms in the community of Naworaone. Their goal is to provide an easily accessible space that will improve teaching practices and improve literacy levels amongst children and youth within the communities. | | | In addition, the volunteers run a Youth Skills Summit for the surrounding communities. This involves preparing and presenting workshops on a range of subjects including sexual health, gender equality and basic management skills. | | | | THE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE: | | The Vanuatu program focuses on partnerships with local youth, families, communities, organisations and associations, as well as large international organisations such as Oxfam or World Vision. Each project in Vanuatu is different and has its own individual goals, objectives and activities. Typically, volunteers on the Vanuatu program work on one key project which is usually a infrastructure construction activity. In addition, they work on a number of smaller activities ranging from capacity building with local youth and families around health issues, to working with communities around income generation and the importance of community cohesion. YCA’s program in Vanuatu is unique in that volunteers travel to communities alongside a group of ni-Vanuatu youth who are participating in a leadership program. In this way, volunteers not only contribute to the sustainable development of the communities where they stay, but also help to enhance the skills and experience of the next generation of Vanuatu’s leaders. To get an idea of what 6 – 10 weeks in Vanuatu might look like, have a look at two recent projects. | | |  | | | | WHY DO WE WORK IN VANUATU?: | | The population of Vanuatu is dispersed over many small islands, making the delivery of health care, education and other services very difficult. Vanuatu has recently witnessed increased urban migration, and with 45% of the population under the age of 18, the country is struggling to provide job opportunities for its youth. With high unemployment levels and poverty, many parts of the Pacific are moving backwards in human development terms, and the Pacific Island nations have the highest suicide rates in the world. The purpose of engaging with Ni-Vanuatu communities across these 83 beautiful islands in the South Pacific is to enhance the capacity of community members to engage in sustainable development for themselves. The ongoing support of Ni-Vanuatu community development is crucial to the sustainability of the families and communities of Vanuatu. As the nation’s economy is heavily reliant upon tourism, YCA also works with small communities to ensure that any tourist projects are environmentally sustainable and benefit the whole community. By getting involved you will be able to experience daily life for Ni-Vanuatu people and communities first hand. Volunteers contribute to improving the standard of living in Vanuatu, working in partnership with the ni-Vanuatu to preserve the cultural beauty and amazing environment of this unique island nation. | | |  | | | | Click here for Vanuatu Photo Gallery |
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