Blacksand community gains ‘Women and Girls Friendly Space’ through CARE and UNFPA

Feb 25, 2025 | CARE in Vanuatu, News | 0

CARE International, in association with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has officially launched a ‘Women and Girls Friendly Space’ at Blacksand, offering a wide range of support services to the community.

UNFPA Head of Office, Roslyn David, said they have designed a trauma-free space for women and girls to feel emotionally and physically comfortable enough to cooperate, share experiences, seek support, and learn as much as they can.

Mrs. David assured that the new facility will allow women and girls to be free from fear and violence.

She explained their work is based on six principles: building leadership skills for women, offering services for those who seek help, ensuring the space is safe and accessible for people with special needs, involving the community, and creating activities according to people’s interests or depending on the type of environment they differ from.

“This new learning space will add value to the lives of women and girls in the community,” she said.

She also mentioned other services, including health awareness talks, family planning, police safety awareness, training for women to start small businesses, and agricultural workshops where they can receive seedlings and skills training.

CARE International Country Director, Jamie Terzi, commented that they are excited to promote services to the community to help women and girls access support for gender equality, women’s empowerment, and inclusive governance.

The representative from the Department of Women’s Affairs, Heather Matariki, acknowledged the support from the partners involved, as well as from the Government.

“CARE has been the core lead for the gender and protection cluster after a disaster, and for that, we are grateful,” she said.

“This new learning space will support women and girls, especially those with special needs.”

Youth representative from the Blacksand community, Edmond Saksak, spoke on behalf of the community and shared their gratitude towards CARE, the partners, and the Government for providing the needed support for women and girls.

“We have seen and experienced a huge impact after the earthquake, where families lost jobs and were traumatised. This new learning space will be a great support to our mothers and girls,” he said.

CARE Gender Project Manager, Jane Williams, said it is essential for the organisation to set up a safe learning space in an affected area after a disaster based on data collected from the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO).

“We previously set up learning space tents in Central Tanna last year after Tropical Cyclones (TC) Judy and Kevin hit, and we saw progress and positive impact on the affected communities.”

“Based on those experiences from Tanna, this new learning space will yield great results.”

Partners include World Vision, Wan Smol Bag, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vanuatu Police Force, Department of Women’s Affairs, Vanuatu Skills Partnership, Vanuatu Society of People with Disabilities, Vanuatu Women’s Centre, Ministry of Justice, Family Health, and the Department of Strategic Planning, Policy and Aid Coordination (DSPPAC).

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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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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