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| | Working towards youth-empowerment, capacity building & community partnerships | | | | PROGRAM IN BRIEF: | | Continent: | Australasia | | Development areas: | Partnerships | | | Education | | | Youth Development | | | Health | | YCA Focused MDG: | Number 8; Global Partnership For Development | |  | | | | PROGRAM OVERVIEW: | | | | Youth Challenge Australia (YCA) has been supporting communities and organisations in Vanuatu since we began work there in 2001. Countless communities have been involved with YCA since then, through identifying a need within their community and seeking our support to achieve that goal. YCA continues today, to work in Vanuatu with the help of passionate and enthusiastic youth from around the world. The Vanuatu program is focused 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 ranging from capacity building with local youth and families around health issues, too working with communities around income generation and the importance of community coheasion. 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. YCA continues to work in collaboration with Youth Challenge Vanuatu (YCV) to identify and support various communities that require assistance in Vanuatu and to work with them towards a sustainable future. | | | | GET INVOLVED: | | | | YCA aims to support Ni-Vanuatu communities to achieve their goals for development. Vanuatu is a popular travel destination and consistently voted as having the “happiest people on earth” living there. Although it sounds like paradise, the country has one of the lowest standards of living in the world and is virtually a subsistence economy. Developmental needs in Vanuatu stem from high youth unemployment and among other things, its geographical isolation and lack of infrastructure. | | | 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. YCA conducts project in Vanuatu year round and we aim to assist communities to make a small contribution towards achieving Vanuatu’s long-term development goals. | | | | By getting involved you will be able to learn more and experience daily life for Ni-Vanuatu people and communities first hand. YCA continues to contribute to improving the standard of living in Vanuatu and assists in capacity building with individuals and organisations, working in partnership to preserve the cultural beauty and amazing environment of Vanuatu. | | |  | | | | COUNTRY PROFILE: | | Location: | Vanuatu is located in the South Pacific Ocean, | | Capital: | Port Vila, situated on the island of Efate, Vanuatu | | Population: | 243,304 (2009 EST) | | Language/s: | Bislama, French, English | | HDI: | 120/182 | | Life Expectance: | 70.0 years | | Infant Mortality: | 28.3 in 1000 births | | Adult Literacy Rate: | 74.0% | | Climate: | The climate is sub-tropical with approximately 8 months of warm to hot rainy weather with the possibility of cyclones, and three to four months of cooler drier weather. | | Government: | Parliamentary democratic republic. | | | |  | | | | PAST VANUATU PROJECT: | | | | | | Maskelyne Islands, South Malekula, Vanuatu | | | | | | To improve women’s access to information, support, education and employment, by enhancing their capacity and their ability to engage in the community. | | | 14 participants | | | Women over 18 years old in the Maskelyne community | | | All members of the Maskelynes community | | | The project with the cooperation and involvement of the community improved women’s ability to meet their social and economic endeavours, with the construction of Women’s community centre and Market store. This establishment was designed to allow the women the space to participate economically, and also provided them a space to support one another and exchange ideas. | | | To coincide with the construction of the Women’s centre, the team conducted a business workshop to educate the community members on economic opportunities, focusing on areas of business management, cultural barriers to business and problem solving. | | | The team also conducted classes to enhance basic language skills for children within the community and delivered a health forum on 3 issues emcompasing basic health and hygiene practices, with numerous community members attending. | | | | | | | Click here for Vanuatu Photo Gallery |
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