August Newsletter 2025

Sep 29, 2025 | Newsletters | 0

August was a month of inspiration, learning, and collaboration. From celebrating the resilience of Marcelline Moli in Sista Gat Style, to joining powerful regional and national dialogues on gender equality, youth leadership, and workplace safety, our team has been busy amplifying voices and building connections.

We also strengthened our skills through the ABC Digital Bootcamp in Brisbane, closed the internship journey for Young Women Leader’s Program (YWLP), welcomed a new Australian volunteer to our team, and contributed to important national consultations and steering committees.

This month reminded us that change happens when we come together — youth, women, allies, and communities — to lead with courage and create space for new voices.

Keep reading to see what Sista achieved in August!

Project Activities:

Marcelline Moli – Sista Gat Style, Vanuatu Daily Post

In August, we are shining light on Marcelline Moli – a young woman whose strength, determination, and confidence inspire us all.

“Don’t look at my disability, but at my ability.”
This is the quote that 23-year-old Marcelline lives by – and it captures her spirit perfectly.

Originally from Ambae Island, Marcelline now lives in Port Vila with her aunt while she continues her studies at Lycée Louis Antoine De Bougainville. She boards school during the term and is fully focused on her dream: to become a lawyer and defend the rights of people with disabilities.

Marcelline does not have her right hand – but that has never stopped her. Instead, it has shaped her strength, her purpose, and her voice. She’s also a proud para-athlete, passionate about athletics and determined to push herself both on and off the track. Through sport, she’s learned discipline, courage, and how to turn challenge into power.

In her spare time, Marcelline loves watching movies, hanging out with friends, and sleeping in whenever she gets the chance. More recently, she’s discovered a love for fashion — not in the flashy, fast-paced sense, but in how it allows her to feel confident, creative, and real.

“I like fashion that feels natural and true. You wear what makes you feel good, and what fits your life,” she says. “Now I see it’s a way to express who I am.”

Marcelline’s story reminds us that true strength is found in resilience — in showing up, speaking out, and embracing who you are without apology but always with a smile.

#SistaGatStyle #GirlAmbae #ParaAthlete #AbilityNotDisability #StrengthInDiversity #ConfidenceIsKey #ExpressYourself #Inspiration

ILO C190 Campaign – Fiji Women’s Rights Movement

On August 5th and 28th, the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement hosted an online regional meeting to advance the International Labour Organization (ILO) C190 campaign, which addresses violence and harassment in the workplace. The session focused on developing a five to seven-minute awareness video featuring strong visuals, advocacy messages, and cultural elements to highlight the urgency of government ratification and action.

Participants discussed the high rates of workplace violence in the Pacific, shared advocacy updates, and agreed on a timeline for script feedback, filming, and video completion by November 25th. Despite challenges such as limited resources for filming in some countries, partners reaffirmed their commitment to the campaign and the importance of collective action to drive change.

Young Men Intergenerational dialogue ‘Why should Men be allies?’ – CARE

On 7th August 2025, Sista, in partnership with CARE in Vanuatu, hosted an intergenerational dialogue at the Vanuatu Cricket Conference Room, Port Vila. The event brought together 7 young men from the Young Men’s Program to engage with panelists George Worworbu and Pastor Mansen Roy, moderated by Josepheen Tarianga, with Sista staff Rosina Kaimbang Lore and Talula-Fay Taribakeo supporting the session.

The dialogue highlighted the role of men as allies in promoting gender equality and preventing gender-based violence. Panellists discussed the meaning of allyship, its importance, and practical ways men can support safer, more equitable communities, including challenging harmful cultural norms and holding each other accountable. The session offered young men a platform to learn, share, and be motivated to act as role models, fostering respect and inclusion in their communities.

Pacific Women Lead SOGIESC Guidance Note – consultation with SISTA

On the 8th of August 2025, the Sista Program Manager met with Kris Prasad online via zoom for a consultation.

The consultation was on the development of the Pacific Women Lead (PWL) SOGIESC Guidance Note, aimed at strengthening inclusive and responsive programming across the portfolio. It sought input from partners like Sista to ensure the guidance is context-specific, aligns with regional gender equality frameworks, and supports efforts to move beyond binary understandings of gender by being inclusive of people of diverse SOGIESC.

The Program Manger offered insight on the work of Sista around inclusion and the current situation in country.

National Youth’s Day Intergenerational Dialogue – CARE

Also on the 12 August 2025, Sista, in partnership with CARE in Vanuatu, hosted a half-day Intergenerational Dialogue in Alliance Française with 15 participants, including alumni from the Young Men’s Program, the Young Women’s Leadership Program, and other community youth representatives.

The discussion, under the theme “Positive Influence: Peer Pressure, Youth Role Models & Good Behaviour”, explored how peer pressure shapes youth behaviour, the importance of positive role models, and the role of respect, responsibility, and self-discipline in youth leadership.

Two guest panelists shared their personal experiences and insights – Mike Esrom Kaun & Louisa Mael. It was a rich and engaging discussion between the two panelists, the moderator, and the participants, fostering meaningful exchange of experiences and ideas.

ABC Digital Bootcamp to Support Podcast Revamp

On the week of 11th to 15th August, Sista’s Communications & Advocacy Officer and the We Rise Coalition Communications & Advocacy Officer participated in the ABC Digital Bootcamp in Brisbane, delivered by ABC International Development through PACMAS. This one-week program provided hands-on training in key digital skills to enhance advocacy, communication, and outreach across the Pacific.

The bootcamp not only equipped our officers with practical skills for our RoundTable Podcast revamp but also fostered networking with experts and peers from across the Pacific. Both officers left the training energized and ready to apply their learnings to strengthen digital communication and advocacy efforts in our organisation and Podcast! – Stay Tuned!!

We are grateful for this opportunity and for the support of ABC International Development and PACMAS in empowering Pacific advocates.

The Round Table Podcast – Planning and Creating

Our Creative and Tech Support Officer designed a new logo for our Round Table Podcast project, giving the initiative a fresh and professional visual identity. This new look reflects the podcast’s focus on meaningful discussions and community engagement, helping us connect more effectively with our audience. – we can’t wait for you to see it!!

After returning from Brisbane, Sista’s Communications & Advocacy Officer began developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for our Mojo Kits. The SOP is still a work in progress, as it required further research to ensure clear guidelines and efficient processes for preparation and use.

Young Women’s Leadership Program (YWLP) Internship Closes – CARE

On the 22nd of August, the Young Women’s Leadership (YWLP) internship journey came to an end for two of the five interns. Carol Peter, who carried out her internship with VAPJP, and Eloise Kaloran, who was placed with VANGO, successfully completed their placements.

Both young women shared heartfelt reflections of their experiences. They expressed their gratitude towards the program, highlighting how it gave them the opportunity to build their confidence, sharpen their skills, and apply the lessons they had learned during the YWLP workshops. Beyond that, the internship opened the door for them to step into a new working environment, allowing them to grow both personally and professionally.

Carol and Eloise both acknowledged that what they have learned throughout this journey will remain with them and serve as a strong foundation for their future career paths. Tankiu tumas to the five young women for sticking through the internship journey!

Other Activities:

Meeting with Vanuatu Association of NGOs (VANGO)

On the 27th August, Sista’s Project Coordinator attended the VANGO meeting held at Iririki Island Resort. The meeting, opened by the Director General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, focused on decentralizing services, strengthening localization, and fostering NGO-Government collaboration.

Updates were given on the NGO Act (currently on hold) and the review of the NGO Policy. The meeting also established two Advisory Committees (Climate Impact and Localization) and a Steering Committee for NGO Day, with Sista confirmed as a member. NGO Day is scheduled for 27 November 2025, and updates were shared on VANGO reporting templates. The day concluded with the first Steering Committee meeting for NGO Day.

“Yumi Lukim Jastis” Steering Committe Meeting

On Friday, 29th August 2025, Sista’s Program Manager and Project Coordinator attended the first Steering Committee meeting of the year for the Yumi Lukim Jastis Project, held at the Melanesian Hotel. The meeting brought together 16 representatives from the Supreme Court, Magistrate Court, Island Court, Vanuatu Police Force, and CSOs including VAPJP, Vanuatu Women’s Centre, and Sista.

The Steering Committee meeting opened with introductions and an update on reinstated project support, including the arrival of the new project officer. Members reviewed key decisions from the previous meeting, discussed activity planning and approaches to empowering women, and received progress updates from the Supreme, Magistrate, and Island Courts. Sista’s communications team shared logo samples for feedback, which will be revised and shared via email. The meeting concluded with agreement on stakeholder activity planning, the 2025/26 meeting calendar, and the development of the workplan once the project officer joins the Supreme Court team. The next meeting is scheduled for November.

NEW #AusVol for Finance & HR

August was a busy and exciting month for the finance and admin team at Sista. On the 18th of August, our new Australian volunteer arrived in Vanuatu. We officially met her on the 21st at the DFAT briefing held at the Australian Volunteer Program Office, where we also met two other volunteers. She spent the remainder of August in the induction phase of her assignment with the AVP team, which includes learning Bislama. We are grateful for this ongoing partnership, which provides us with skilled volunteers each year to help strengthen our systems and processes.

FRIDA Fund Financial Year Closes

This month also marked the end of our financial year with our partner, Frida Fund. We deeply appreciate their continued support, which has enabled us to carry out meaningful projects, including the purchase of Sista merchandise that will be used in workshops and activities.

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‘The scars children carry can last a lifetime’ August 13, 2026
Amid the public outrage and questions over the President’s recent pardoning of convicted rapists and the alarming increase in child abuse cases in Vanuatu, the REACH Family Centre is calling on Parliament to pass the proposed Child Protection Bill, saying stronger laws are needed to hold people who abuse children accountable. Every day at the REACH Family Centre, Mansen Roy and Salokie Narfi work alongside children experiencing challenges no child should face. Some are struggling with overwhelming stress. Others are navigating violence at home, bullying, online harm and the fear of speaking out. For Narfi, a counsellor and group work practitioner for children and adolescents, the hardest part is seeing how many suffer in silence. “Children want to come for help, but they are scared of the consequences,” she says. “Some are afraid their parents will find out. Others are afraid nobody will believe them.” Using drawing, play therapy and other child-friendly approaches, Narfi helps children express emotions they cannot find the words for. She remembers one child who repeatedly blacked out at school. “Through counselling, the child understood the emotional pain carried,” she says. “The mother also received counselling. Today that child is brighter, more confident and looking forward to the future.” But not every story has such a hopeful ending. Roy, REACH’s Acting Executive Director, says many of the challenges children face are made worse by gaps in protection and understanding. “Violence against children remains one of the biggest issues,” he says. “We should teach, guide and love children,” he says. “Wrong treatment can create trauma that children carry for their whole lives, like a scar that never goes away.” Against this backdrop, REACH is pushing for the proposed Child Protection Bill to reach Parliament and become law. Both Roy and Narfi say the legislation would strengthen their work by creating a clearer approach to responding when children are at risk of serious harm, including sexual abuse. It would also help place children’s wellbeing at the centre of decision-making. “This Bill will support our work in the field,” Mansen says. “The justice system punishes perpetrators, but what about the survivors? Children also need healing, psychological support and protection to move forward into the future.” Narfi says the law would also ensure serious cases of abuse are recognised early and responded to properly. “Children are the future of the country,” she says. “If this Bill passes, we can build a stronger Vanuatu with children who are supported, protected and able to become the future leaders of our nation.” REACH is one of the few organisations in Vanuatu providing holistic support to entire families, working with mothers, fathers and children together because lasting change begins at home. Yet the demand for counselling and mental health support continues to grow, while resources remain limited. Roy believes passing the Child Protection Bill is no longer simply a legal decision – it is a moral one. “Child protection affects everyone because every one of us was once a child,” he says. For the children who are too frightened to speak, and for those still carrying invisible scars, the time to act is now. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Man remanded over alleged sexual assault of four-year-old girl August 13, 2026
A man from Tanna has been remanded in custody after being charged over the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl at Salili on Efate last week. The accused, identified in a remand warrant as Simeon Tom Yatika, appeared before the Port Vila Magistrates’ Court on 11 August 2026. He is charged with unlawful sexual intercourse, contrary to section 97(1) of the Penal Code [CAP 135]. The prosecution applied for the accused to be held in custody, and the court granted the application. The warrant directs the officer in charge of the Correctional Centre to keep Yatika in custody until his next appearance on 25 August 2026 at 9am. A source close to the Magistrates’ Court said the court was informed that the alleged victim suffered injuries and experienced difficulty using the toilet after the incident. The court also reportedly heard that the accused had been receiving mental health care but had not attended medical appointments for some time. The circumstances surrounding that information remain matters for the court and relevant medical professionals to consider. The allegations have not been tested at trial. The accused has not been convicted and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case has caused concern and renewed public frustration over the protection of children and the handling of sexual offence cases in Vanuatu. Many members of the public are expected to question whether vulnerable children are receiving adequate protection, medical care and support after alleged abuse. The case also comes amid wider criticism from women’s groups over the treatment of child sex offenders and calls for stronger safeguards in decisions involving pardons and accountability. Women’s groups have recently urged the Government to review the presidential pardon process following the pardoning of men convicted of sexually abusing children. Community members have called for the justice system to respond firmly to allegations involving children, while also stressing the importance of allowing the courts to assess the evidence fairly and independently. Under Vanuatu law, sexual intercourse with a child under 13 is a serious criminal offence, with the law providing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The prosecution must nevertheless prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt before a conviction can be entered. The matter remains before the Port Vila Magistrates’ Court. The child’s identity has been withheld to protect her privacy. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Cervical cancer preventable, yet a leading cause of death among Vanuatu women August 12, 2026
Minister of Health Robert Bohn said cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among women in Vanuatu, yet it is entirely preventable through vaccination, screening and early treatment. Speaking at the official launch of the Vanuatu National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy 2026–2035 yesterday, Minister Bohn said access to these highly effective prevention measures had previously been limited or unavailable in Vanuatu. As a result, women were often diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease, when treatment options were limited and survival rates were lower. Minister Bohn said the launch reaffirmed a collective commitment to ensuring women and girls have access to prevention, screening and treatment services, with their health, dignity and future at the centre of the national effort. “The Vanuatu Strategy aligns with the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer as a Public Health Problem and its 90-70-90 coverage targets: 90 per cent of girls fully vaccinated with HPV by age 15; 70 per cent of women screened with an HPV test or other high-performance test by ages 35 and 45; and 90 per cent of women with cervical pre-cancer treated and women with invasive cancer appropriately managed,” he said. The Minister of Health said the Government of Vanuatu, through this strategy, is reaffirming its commitment to achieving these goals by 2035. Mr. Bohn said Vanuatu now has accessible, culturally appropriate and scalable approaches to prevention, and together the country can make a difference for women and families across the country. “The country has already made significant progress on this pathway, and today I would like to acknowledge the persistence, advocacy and hard work of health and community workers to reduce the preventable burden, incidence, illness and death caused by cervical cancer,” he said. “An opportunistic screening programme has existed since 2008, with national Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-based screening implemented in 2022, and close to 20,000 women screened to date. The hard work of the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, the Vanuatu Family Health Association and the Ikkana Cancer Society has meant that access to screening has been made available across all provinces, with over 3,500 women receiving treatment.” Mr. Bohn said Vanuatu is also protecting girls from cervical cancer through HPV vaccination, with the national HPV vaccination programme beginning in 2023 and 16,412 girls vaccinated to date. He said this ensures that today’s girls grow up protected, empowered and free from a disease that previously often arrived too late for treatment. “With continued awareness and coordinated delivery strategies, communities learn that the HPV vaccine protects their children and they therefore want their children to be vaccinated,” he said. “As we endorse this document, we acknowledge the journey of women and families affected, the conscientious efforts of health and community workers to improve health outcomes and the valued collaboration of international partners which strengthens our progress. “The Strategy presents a roadmap to strengthen and sustain current efforts, prioritising primary health care, public health approaches and people-centred service delivery tailored to the Vanuatu context.” Minister Bohn said sustained progress would require long-term, sustainable financing and continued coordinated efforts across sectors and disciplines to ensure Vanuatu remains on the path to eliminating cervical cancer. He said the Government of Vanuatu is committed to ensuring activities are adequately coordinated, funded and maintained over time. “Government commits to ensuring that no woman is left unseen, no girl unprotected, and no life lost to a preventable disease,” he said. The senior consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, medical lead for the cervical cancer screening programme and chairperson of the development of the cervical cancer elimination strategy, Dr Boniface Damutalau, said the document launched yesterday provides a roadmap for combating cervical cancer. He said cervical cancer screening began in 2022 using new technologies to detect pre-cancerous lesions, and the launch of the strategy provides guidance for screening, vaccination, treatment and sustainability of the programme through to 2035. “It’s a document that helps us with a roadmap of how we do our screening, our vaccination, our treatment of pre-cancerous lesions, and also it will help us with the sustainability of the programme for the next 10 to 15 years,” he said. Dr Damutalau said available data shows around 18 per cent of women have HPV infection, although he believes the figure could be higher because the hospital continues to see two or three new cervical cancer cases each month. He explained that the best way to prevent cervical cancer is through immunisation of young girls aged around 9 to 14 years and regular screening. Dr Damutalau said screening is the only way to detect cervical cancer early, allowing treatment to begin before the disease progresses. He said Vanuatu can currently treat stage 1 cervical cancer locally, while women with more advanced stages must travel overseas for further treatment. “There are a lot of challenges. I think the biggest ones that we encounter are that Vanuatu is very sparse, with different islands, so there is a lot of geography we have to go through, and human resources are also one of the important things that we combat every day,” he said. “Human resources across ministries are not enough, but we always try to reach as far as where women live, from remote places in the north down to the south.” Dr Damutalau acknowledged the efforts made by women who come forward to clinics for screening. He said there are currently two clinics providing services, one in Port Vila and one in Luganville. Cervical cancer is caused by HPV, and once a woman becomes infected, the virus can change cells on the cervix, causing them to become cancerous. Dr Damutalau said most HPV infections clear naturally, but some remain and can increase the risk of cervical cancer. He said about 90 per cent of cervical cancers are linked to HPV, which is why vaccination and early screening are important. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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More boys than girls drop out of school August 12, 2026
More boys than girls are dropping out of secondary schools in Vanuatu, with TORBA Province recording the highest dropout rate. Boys are repeating grades more than girls at both primary and secondary levels across all provinces, and TORBA Province again has the highest repetition rate. These findings were conveyed by the Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), John Gideon, in his presentation to set the tone for discussions at the National Education Forum in Port Vila. He said more boys are leaving school for reasons beyond the classroom, such as the cost of education, distance to school and boarding challenges. In 2016, Vanuatu came up with a policy requiring children to start formal primary school at age 6. Director Gideon revealed that the net enrolment rate has been declining since 2023, with girls recording a higher rate while boys’ participation remains lower. Girls also recorded higher gross enrolment rates than boys at every level. Director Gideon also mentioned that the education system is not retaining students, especially at the secondary level. He said about 41 out of every 100 children who start Year 1 remain in school by Year 6, and only about 5 out of every 100 continue through to Year 13. Director Gideon highlighted that the number of early childhood centres has decreased since 2022, primary schools have remained stable, while secondary schools have grown the most, with 67 new schools established since 2015. “There are over 5,400 teachers, but they are not where the students are,” he said. SHEFA, TAFEA and SANMA have the most senior secondary schools, while TORBA faces a severe shortage of junior secondary teachers. Director Gideon encouraged participants at the forum to examine what the data reveals about boys’ engagement in the education system, how to increase enrolment in early childhood and the relationship between enrolment and student progress. Currently, 104,510 students are enrolled across more than 1,000 registered schools in Vanuatu. However, Director General Cherol Ala pointed out that not all children are in school, highlighting the need to improve access, enrolment and participation. While literacy and numeracy outcomes continue to decline, she said monitoring of the nationwide Curriculum Improvement Program (CIP), launched last year, is showing improved outcomes in student learning. Other challenges she mentioned include student and teacher attendance, high dropout rates, limited access to formal training and qualifications, school infrastructure, access to schools and rolling out internet connectivity. She reminded everyone about the ministry’s mission to provide young people with lifelong skills, values and confidence to become self-reliant and contribute to development. Throughout the four-day National Education Forum, government leaders, educators and partners have discussed what has not worked and what needs to be done to improve education outcomes. The forum ends today. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Vanuatu’s education crisis a ‘national disaster’ – Pikinini Playtime CEO August 12, 2026
Pikinini Playtime founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Batten has described Vanuatu’s education situation as a “national disaster”, warning that poor literacy outcomes among children could affect the country’s future development. Speaking during an interview on Kava Mo Kajap, Mr. Batten said reports that around 70 per cent of children are unable to read and write at the expected level should be treated as a serious national concern. “I think it is a national disaster, like a hurricane or an earthquake,” Mr. Batten said. He said Vanuatu’s greatest resource is not its land or natural resources, but its people, and education is the foundation needed to develop that human resource. “Human resources are the number one resource for Vanuatu,” he said. Mr. Batten said countries that have successfully moved from being less developed to more advanced economies have done so by investing heavily in education and building a skilled population. However, he said Vanuatu’s current education results remain a major concern despite the country spending a significant amount of its national budget on education. “Vanuatu gives a lot of money per capita into education, but the results are still among the lowest in the Pacific,” he said. The Pikinini Playtime founder said the challenge is not only about funding but about how the education system delivers results. He questioned why many students continue to leave school without basic reading and writing skills despite years spent in classrooms. Mr. Batten said the impact of poor education outcomes can also be seen in the country’s workforce, where businesses often recruit skilled workers from overseas to fill positions. “We bring people from the Philippines and other countries to do accounting, bookkeeping, management, building and supervisory work, but many ni-Vanuatu are not able to take those opportunities because they do not have the basic education,” he said. He said the literacy issue must be addressed early because children who fail to develop strong reading skills in their early years often struggle throughout their education journey. Mr. Batten also raised concerns about the value placed on education within the system. He said teacher absenteeism, weak accountability and a lack of support for educators contribute to children losing confidence in learning. “When children see that school is not important, they begin to believe they don’t need school,” he said. Mr. Batten acknowledged that many teachers are working under difficult conditions but said the system needs stronger support, training and leadership to improve outcomes. He believes improving education requires everyone involved — government, schools, teachers, principals and parents — to work together. “Children are smart. They have the ability. But they need the right support and the right opportunities,” he said. Mr. Batten said addressing literacy must become a national priority because the future of Vanuatu depends on the quality of education provided to today’s children. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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August Newsletter 2025

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