Youth Challenge Vanuatu

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.

DEPARTING JUNE 2013:

Dates: 25 June- 6th August 2013

Development Focus: Youth Development, Education, Health

Activities: YCA works in partnership with Youth Challenge Vanuatu on a unique cross cultural program which sees Australian volunteers team up with local Ni-Vanuatu volunteers. This program gives you the opportunity to learn about Ni-Vanuatu culture as you live, work and share with one another. The program is usually based around one main construction project identified by the community and a ‘Youth Skills Summit’. Working in small groups, you will assist in facilitating community-identified workshops for local youth. Topics range from tourism, climate change, sexual health, general health, small business group management and leadership.

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.

For more information on Vanuatu have a look at the Country Profile.

Click here for Vanuatu Photo Gallery