Introduction
Elsie: Halo olgeta, I’m Elsie, welcome to the RoundTable Podcast. We’ve created this space for Ni-Vanuatu women to speak freely on issues affecting us today. Let’s navigate life in the islands together. Join me as I speak to a new guest every episode and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Ale yumi storian. This project is made possible with the support of the WeRise Coalition and PACMAS.
TRANSLATIONS: Hello everyone, I’m Elsie, welcome to the RoundTable Podcast. We’ve created this space for Ni-Vanuatu women to speak freely on issues affecting us today. Let’s navigate life in the islands together. Join me as I speak to a new guest every episode and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Let’s discuss. This project is made possible with the support of the WeRise Coalition and PACMAS.
Elsie: Tete yumi luk fulap woman mo man oli stap aot lo Vanuatu blo ko mekem seasonal wok blo mekem smol vatu for their families. In 2015, Vanuatu sent 2,500 workers to work in New Zealand, while Australia recruited 900 workers. And in 2016, there was a recorded amount of 10,000 workers undertaking seasonal work in both Australia and New Zealand. While this generates income for families, this puts a burden on women to look after finance and basically become head of the household. Earlier in the month of June a locally female-led NGO, Penpena Mouri held a two-day workshop for single mamas to share experiences about the impacts they face due to the seasonal worker scheme. The aim of the workshop? To advocate for stronger support systems for women across the country and help to try and hold men accountable when they do not meet their responsibilities or choose to neglect them.
Interview Introduction
Our guest today is Guilaine Nauni, a young woman from the island of Futuna currently works at an NGO in Port Vila who works closely with upskilling and empowering young women. Guilaine is also the founder of Penpena Mouri. Penpena Mouri was established in 2021 with the focus of advocating for mothers in Vanuatu addressing many different challenges as well as an online campaign for greater support and policy change.
Elsie: Hi Guilaine, thank you so much for joining me on this episode.
Guilaine: Hi Elsie, thanks for having me. Also, thank yu lo Sista team blo kivim mi that opportunity blo mi save part lo roundtable storian blo yumi.
Elsie: So, Guilaine why do you think its important to create these kinds of spaces for women, especially single mamas?
Guilaine: Okay, thank yu lo question weh i kam. The most important thing weh bai yumi gat ol space ia blo single mamas or bai yumi talem se ol temporary leading female headed household, in other words lo bislama yumi talem se olgeta weh ol partner blo ol oli travel ko lo seasonal work. Hemi important blo yumi gat space ia from taem weh partner emi travel olgeta oli tekemap lead olsem head of households and most of the time yumi over lukim roles and responsibilities weh oli play blo lukaot lo ol pikinini mo bai yumi talem se oli play two roles at the same time as a mama wetem papa at the same time. And to have that responsibility, bai yumi talem se emi wan bigfala nara responsibility bakeken weh hemi no part lo normal responsibilities blo olgeta. So, i gud blo yumi karem olgeta kam lo space olsem ia blo oli sharem ol experiences blo olgeta oli storian, sharem ol learnings together how weh oli facem ol challenges, how oli overcomem ol challenges ia blo oli save help blo oli bai yumi talem se mekem wan cross-learning. From insaed long group hemi gat diversities blo ol single mothers wetem olgeta weh oli temporary leading in a headed household, i gat olgeta weh age group blo ol mama weh oli more older mo i gat olgeta weh oli more younger. And majority long olgeta weh oli stap insaed olgeta weh ol partners blo ol oli travel ko lo overseas lo seasonal program. So, insaed lo space ia yumi providem olsem wan safe space blo olgeta blo oli save serem ol tingting blo olgeta and how blo olgeta oli save helpem family blo olgeta more from in reality bai yumi talem se ol mama taem hemi busy wetem ol roles and responsibilities ia samtaem emi forgetem hem wan. And i end up lo bai yumi talem se self-care blo hem and taem olsem ia bai emi no save provide blo family blo hem, And plante taem, taem emi sapotem ol families blo hem bai yumi se partner blong hem emi stap long weh samtaems emi sapot and samtaems emi no sapot. Financially samtaem oli sapot, samtaem i no sapot and reason why yumi tekem ol temporary leading female headed household emi kam in from there’s a big chance blo either olgeta oli save stap lo that relationship blo olgeta or oli likely blo oli save end up to be a single mum olsem yumi everiwan i save and emi wan samting weh wan finding blo yumi tu lo 2021 weh hemi talem se increase blo single head, sorry single mothers emi increase bigwan i kam kasem this year. And not just ol single new couples beh emi ol even ol couples weh oli maret for a long time.
So, reason why yumi providem space ia emi blo oli kam oli sharem ol tingting blo ol tugeta more oli learn blo oli save respectem olgeta wan, oli valuem olgeta, buildim bak ol confidence blo olgeta. As single mums taem weh yu become single mama fes samting emi low self-esteem emi start blo yu gat nogud tingting lo yu wan nao and space ia emi kam blo hemi helpem olgeta blo yumi kivim bak confidence lo olgeta that you can do better even afta challenges yu ko tru long hem you can do better. And also oli encouragem each other blo yumi valuem yumi wan mo yumi focus lo ol pikinini blo yumi instead of yumi luk luk lo challenge the situation yumi yumi stap long hem.
Elsie: Oh am so glad that you’ve taken up the, i guess, responsibility in a way to create this space for single mothers. Just hearing you know what you’ve shared, i can you know sense that pressure that is put on these women to take the lead and take all these added responsibilities. So, you know, it does sound like you said that they can share with each other and you know, have that sense of they worth so much and they are valued and they should you know remember that they need to look after themselves as well. So that’s greaet. There’s this report that i had gone through just before this episode, it’s the Family-E Ready Rapid Review Report. And in the report there were findings on some of the negative impacts of seasonal work on family units. 40% of people said that it had a negative result on their relationship. 9% said it had the impact on the relationships and their children, while 12% expressed mainly it had a negative impact on the children. So its clearly that children are heavily negatively affected by this change in dynamics. And i understand that you managed to discuss and unpack the Child Maintenance Act with the participants from the 2 day workshop. What was the common theme or like the feelings that the women shared with you and what did they want to change?
Guilaine: Thank you so lo two days workshop blo yumi ia mifala i bin storian lo fes dei emi mo to do wetem yumi providem wan rapot space emi wan safe space blo blo yumi kambak blo yumi understandem ol single mothers it’s hard to share their experiences. So, we have to create a safe space for them blo olgeta i save expressem olgeta wan. And for the end of the first day mifala startem blo discussem wanem emi insaed lo Child’s Maintenance Act also going back through the report weh Sista wetem HCID oli been collectem ol data blo hem lo 2021 afta yumi been identifyem ol gaps and yumi kam blo yumi storian lo hem tu. So, mifala i been storian insaed lo Child Maintenance Act ia plante mama oli no save, oli no save wanem emi i insaed lo Child Maintenance Act ia. Oli been sta harem and mifala i been askem questions and most lo olgeta weh oli majority insaed lo room olgeta oli talem se mifala sta harem and samting weh hemi kam lo mind blo mifala hemi end up lo police. And emi wan samting weh oli tekem oli luk se emi wan negative samting, maybe oli harem ol stories lo past afta i mekem se olgeta oli no mekem wan attempt blo oli wantem ko mekem Child Maintenance Act blo oli accessem Child Maintenance Act ia. Then mifala i storian lo hem i ko more blo askem olgeta weh oli been traem and feeling insaed lo room plante weh oli no save, plante weh oli start to get to know and there’s a lot of questions going on insaed. But then mifala kam at the end of the day blo everiwan i understanem.
Insaed lo Child Maintenance Act mifala i bin storian long hem se i gat 2 parts of it i gat emia weh blo ol single mothers and i gat emia weh blo family. So, yumi lukluk more lo emia blo single mothers. So, finding weh yumi gat lo HCID wetem Sista oli been suggestem ol mama blo yumi ol single mama lo festaem weh oli been wok wetem olgeta lo project blo strong mama project oli been suggestem 16,500 lo mama lo community and 25,000 ol mama lo urban especially olgeta weh oli rent. And then taem mifala sta storian lo hem iko yes so ol mama oli tingting se i gud blo yumi make it fair lo everiwan like insaed lo Act ia i gud blo make it fair lo everiwan. The amount could be share amoong everyone afta mifala i explainem why yumi collectem blo ol mama lo community, sori yumi suggestem blo ol mama lo community emia mo emia lo urban emi emia. And olgeta oli tekem se i gud blo yumi gat wan amount weh emi blo everiwan from we never know maybe mama lo community i save kam stap lo or kobak lo community anytime so that’s why oli se i gud blo equal amount nomo. And nara suggestion tu weh olgeta oli suggestem se insaed lo hem tu i gud blo yumi mekem Child Maintenance Act ia i gud blo yumi reviewem afta yumi amendem blo i save includim ol single papa insaed. In other words yumi wantem fairness so yumi wantem equality so yumi talem se i gud blo yumi capturem ol single papa insaed cause now yumi gat ol mamas as well weh oli travel. So, ol mama oli travel but then i kam end up lo ol single papa mo ol pikinini oli stap. There’s lots of them as well in the community beh olgeta oli no speak out nomo and ol single mama oli se hao weh oli feelim emi it’s too overwhelming oli save tekem but for single papas samtaems olgeta oli ol relatives blo olgeta and oli se emi ol relatives or samtaem taem oli ko oli feel sori from papa hemi save mekem certain things nomo weh hemi save mekem and taem emi tumas beh emi tumas ia nao. And its like oli se emi gud yumi capturem insaed cause insaed lo Act blo yumi no capturem ol single fathers ia as well.
Yes, so afta lo hemia overall feeling blo ol mama lo room oli advocate more, oli se please yumi mas reviewem bakeken from 4,000 lo wan pikinini per month it’s not enough and imaginem 1,000 lo wan pikinini for wan week and bai yu pem wanem? Diaper nomo it’s like 1000 samting and milk its like 1000 samting afta so bai yumi talem se 4000 vatu per child yumi pem kaekae blo hem nomo, clothes blo hem, school fee eni nara bai yumi talem ol basic needs blo hem i stap beh yumi no capturem and 4000 vatu emi wan amount weh hemi set i stap since 1967 i kam and that amount i still stap kasem naia weh yumi stap lo 2024. And yumi start tokabaot inflation increase and imagine like and also oli kamap wetem wan suggestion to se bai yumi no save ko for the last option weh putum papa lo jail. And everi mama oli really interest lo hem and it’s really true from sapos yu yu putum papa lo jail sapos emi no pem Child Maintenance Act hemi ko insaed lo jail emi still enjoyem hem insaed lo low risk from se oli providem kakae blo hem even oli providem bred blo hem and emi sta insaed lo weh oli upskilim hem hem hemi mekem money beh hemi blo hem. Beh ale yu mama yu still suffer wetem pikinini. So, hemi no mekem wan difference lo situation weh yumi sta lo hem.
We were talking about different strategies or how nao bai yumi save helpem each other or yumi helpem yumi wan. Nao mifala kam blo storian tu lo communication. Like, i gud blo yumi yumi mas gat wan gudfala communication skills. Yumi, yumi storian gud. The most important thing weh hemi kam antap lo ol mama lo taem ia weh oli emphasize strongly lo hem emi, mama, single mama, you learn to forgive. Beh yu learn to forgive beh ino meanim se yu forgive afta yu forgetem no. Yu forgive beh afta yu approachem papa lo wan way weh blo yu toktok lo hem yutufala i negotiate. Yutufala i storian how nao blo yutufala i stap sapotem yutufala. Pos papa emi no save pem that amount then might as well yu kam helpem mama you look after the kids yu karem ol pikinini i ko lukaot long olgeta. And there’s a risk to it as well sometimes environment blo papa emi no safe blo ol pikinini but then yutufala keep on storian long hem instead blo yutufala causem vaelens yutufala mekem things worst, storian olsem ol adult afta yutufala i kamap lo wan solution lo hem blo helpem ol pikinini especially. From fastaem emi yu wan beh naia hemi yumi includim ol pikinini weh oli innocent and most lo ol pikinini naia lo ol communities blo yumi taem yu ko storian wetem olgeta hemi ol pikinini weh brought up wetem ol sinlge mothers. And sometimes we get to blame ol single mama from oli no playem roles blo olgeta but single mamas are struggling from oli sta play two parts at the same time. And even olsem bai yumi talem se they try to be strong, yumi traem blo yumi strong, even women we’re emotional but when we are strong we are strong. And when it comes to when we say enough is enough, enough is enough. So, ol mama oli kamap lo solution ia nao blo talem se yumi learn blo yumi forgive beh yumi learn blo yumi toktok lo wan way, yumi communicate lo wan way wetem partner or spos tati blo ol pikinini i stap wetem wan nara wife blo hem beh yumi storian gud wetem tufala blo bringim that..beh yumi mas includim insaed lo Child Maintenance Act ia any supportive system weh bai emi save sapotem pikinini i no jes money but lo any other sapot. So, emia emi ol storian weh ol mama oli ko tru lo hem lo 2 days
Elsie: Thank you Gui, that’s really interesting to hear that, that was the conversation that you guys had over the 2 days. 4,000 vatu in a month is crazy to me. Like that won’t even last you a week. I’m like, what? And that, but it’s so sad to think like no one, you know, the kind of the government level. They haven’t like looked at it to be like, this is something we need to change because of inflation, prices are going up. But then it’s also lovely to hear ol mama oli tingbaot ol papa tu. Ol single papa cause there are cases like that. But that’s really great, that’s so interesting as well to hear that this were the kinds of information that you having. I know that there are a lot of stories of women who have partners that gone on seasonal work and sometimes they return with a new strain on the relationship and family life. And in some cases, they don’t return at all. While we hear a lot of these stories, we don’t have much documentation of these struggles having heard first hand experiences from the two-day workshop that you held. What change do you want to see in our communities, especially when it comes to single mamas taking up the role of being the head of the house and overall in Vanuatu? Like what’s the long term goal that you’ve envisioned?
Guilaine: Thank you so long-term goal blo mi blo ol single mamas taem mifala i storian, a good support system. Sapos yumi gat wan gud sapot system in place especially for the Child Maintenance Act review emi really gud blo yumi review afta yumi tekem into consideration wanem ol mama oli mentionem from emi no jes stop lo ples ia. And having that discussions with the mamas oli talem se yumi sta mekem decision ia hemi no yumi nomo yumi sta storian naia and mi talem long olgeta tu se i gud blo yumi tingbaot ol mama lo remote areas weh yumi no kasem olgeta. Sam hao mi ko kasem wan aelan blo yumi lo Vanuatu mifala ko mekem wan assessment, rapid assessment afta lo cyclone. And to be honest it’s just 10 men in the community. Majority lo ol men insaed the community, everi man oli out ko lo seasonal wok. And taem cyclone hemi strike lo taem ia, oli no 10 sori oli 11. Oli separate lo 2 groups. Oli separate lo 2 groups, 5 men i mas stap wetem ol mama mo ol pikinini lo nara safe house nara 6 i stap wetem ol mama wetem ol pikinini lo nara safe house wetem wetem ol grandma. From wanem? From blo oli sapos eni taem sapos aos i fly olgeta nao blo oli sapotem beh then oli se 5 it’s not enough wetem 20 to 30 mama insaed long household. And everi partners blo ol oli travel. So wanem weh hemi kam lo mi emi i need blo gat wan gudfala sapot weh bai yumi talem se oli reviewem act ia not just for the sake of fund beh maybe another, i gat ol nara part blo sapot tu weh ol mama oli nidim. From blo yumi talem se naia weh i stap increase blo single mamas in 3 to 4 years time yumi no save se bai i stap wea naia. From yumi stap tingbaot naia se yumi mekem decision naia weh hemi stap beh yumi sta toktok naia hemi no lo yumi wan nomo. Yumi toktok from everi mama start lo Torres to Aneityum, olgeta oli no save speak up, even oli sta suffer, i gat samfala lo olgeta mama oli storian, mifala i storian oli so emotional. Like papas common yu never save, yu no harem, mama emi stap wetem pikinini 2 kids. I stap hem wan emi nogat siblings blo hem. Beh then ol families tati wetem mami blo hem tu i ted ale emi stap wetem ol families like ol uncle, no supportive. No yu no tajem ol kakae lo karen blo mifala, emia emia. Hemi storian lo hem i so emotional from samtaem hem wetem ol pikinini blo hem drink wota nomo oli ko slip lo naet. Samtaem oli ko lo plantation oli kakae navara nomo afta oli kam ko silip lo naet. And emia emi ol struggle hao ol single mama oli struggle lo hem everyday lo laef. Even samfala oli no save silip antanit lo wan roof. Oli ko silip antanit lo tapolen and that’s how weh ol storian weh mifala harem lo taem ia. It was so emotional from yumi yumi sta tingse everiwan i semak no. Yumi no semak and their diversities of single mothers. Olsem wanem mi wantem luk lo long term goal ia hemi, everiwan insaed lo community tu hemi yu understandem mo yu sapotem ol single mama ia. No tekem everiwan se oli semak. There are diversities of people inside the community. And bai yumi talem se single mamas olgeta oli stap i gat ol diversities blo hem or bai yumi talem se ol different groups blo single mamas from hemi gat wan mama weh hemi gat wan pikinini, or gat 2 pikinini or 3. Emia ol challenges blo olgeta i no semak. Even a single mother wetem disability hemi totally challenge blo hem hemi totally different.
So coming back from wanem weh mi wantem luk lo long-term goal blo yumi emi blo yumi understand afta how nao yumi save better sapotem olgeta insaed long ol communities blo yumi. Not just community, beh kavman blo yumi. Hao nao, wanem nao yumi should mekem sapotem olgeta, not just child maintenance act how about yumi save kamap wetem wan nara, bai yumi talem olsem wanem wan nara sapot system bakeken weh emi save helpem olgeta not just single mama beh single papa tu. And they are part of like citizen blo Vanuatu. So, kambak long yumi bakeken the struggles that we face sometimes yumi sta mekem ol decisions blo yumi, yumi forgetem se there are people weh olgeta oli try hard blo faenem just the food blo putum lo table blo olgeta wetem pikinini blo olgeta. Even in town samfala mama blo yumi, yumi luk oli stap smile gud lo road but actually hidden insaed long olgeta oli wokbaot wetem wan tears weh yu traem blo kivim wan 500 long olgeta emia hemi money blo bred blo hem wetem pikinini blo hem. And yumi, yumi tekem se everiman oli welloff from oli brasem gud hair smooth. Single mamas oli try to be strong. Everyday oli smile lo yu beh oli sta karem burden ia. Sometimes infront of everybody, try to meet everybody’s needs and yumi helpem everiwan. Beh taem yu kambak lo aos yu sta cry nogat man i luk yu. So emi wan samting weh i wantem luk blo yumi providem more space ia tu blo ol single mamas wetem ol single papas blo oli kam storianm karem tingting blo olgeta, how we can better work with them and if there’s any other means blo yumi save sapotem olgeta blo oli maybe, let’s say financially. Maybe yumi save karem sam nara means blo sapotem olgeta financially, not just Child Maintenance, actually pay the kids beh maybe startem off businesses wetem olgeta or wan samting olsem ia. Just blo get them on track. Samtaem oli busy wetem ol responsibilities blo olgeta wetem ol pikinini afta at the end of the day bai yumi talem se at the end of the day olgeta oli kambak blo oli lukaotem bakeken se wanem nao yumi kivim lo olgeta weh blo oli save tajem hemi save sapotem olgeta.
Sometimes yu wantem ko staon blo runem workshop wetem olgeta they can’t be here from se oli mas ko lo karen or oli mas stap lo work. From spos mi no ko lo wok bai boss blo mi i sakem aot mi and there’s lots of challenges weh oli facem. So lo long-term mi pray mo mi sta look forward blo yumi holem hands tugeta blo yumi luk save ol group ia tu like single mothers and widows as well weh oli stap. Beh yumi pray se bai yumi luk ol single mamas ia from olgeta the only sapot system naia weh i stap lo kavman emi just the child maintenance act. And just putting out there sapos yumi weh yumi stap yu gat any single mama or inside lo community blo yu please tekem taem blo yu blo ko sitdaon storian wetem hem blo understanem wanem emi sta ko tru long hem and yumi from yumi gud lo extended family so sapot each other too. No spoilem olgeta, no describem nogud olgeta because the challenges that they face, we’re human beings and make choices as well. So let’s just support them and help them as well. Above all wanem ol single mama oli talem, let’s pray for each other and come back bakeken lo yumi, yumi stap lo wan Christian nation learn to pray, learn to forgive, after let’s move on blo yumi gat wan healthy family as well.
Elsie: Thank you Gui, for sharing your long term-goal. I truly believe that with time and with your advocacy work and just getting that message out there you you will, we will see that change. And i totally agree with you, with you know how people need to understand that there are different diversities of single mamas that also just at the end of the day remembering that they are human beings and we need to treat them with that respect and provide that support. From lo end blo day yumi lo Vanuatu yumi we’re so big on community and family and helping each other. And so just because maybe they don’t have a partner anymore, they have been given the responsibility to look after the household. They still need that support and they still need that understanding and that kind of encouragement blo talem se you can still do this, and we’re still here for you. So, that’s really good. I like that you unpacked that goal for us. So now that we’ve asked all the difficult questions, we like to finish all our episodes with something fun and light. So Gui in 3 words how would you describe your journey as a woman navigating life in Vanuatu today?
Guilaine: Okay, my 3 words is challenging, empowerning and motivating.
Elsie: Thank you Gui, for joining me for that intriguing discussion on the voices of our mothers. I really enjoyed how you unpacked your 2-day workshop and i look forward to seeing you achieve your long-term goal.
As always we love to leave you with good information to take away from each episode. As a community-centered country, like you said, the least we can do is show some understanding, show some empathy towards our single mamas, and provide support where we can. If it’s not financial support, it’s moral support. Encourage and empower them, remind them that they are valued, remind them of the respect that they deserve. 4,000 per month is not enough to look after a child, we need to continue to create these spaces to advocate for the current Child Maintenance Act to be reviewed again. This wasn’t mentioned during our conversation, but Penpena Mouri will be compiling a short booklet with written pieces from the single mamas who attended the two-day workshop in early June. Keep your eye open for it as we’re excited to be sharing it with you all soon.
We’ve got lots of other resources and links which you’ll find in our show notes. That brings us to the end of another episode. We hope this conversation has been beneficial to you. As always, thanks for listening to the round table.
Ending
Elsie: Make sure to check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok as Sista Vanuatu and our website sista.com.vu. This is Elsie, from the RoundTable. If you want to hear from The RoundTable podcast, make sure to tune to the next episode.
