January Newsletter 2025

Feb 25, 2025 | Newsletters | 0

Sista kicked off the new year with grace and gratitude—getting back to work after the holidays while adjusting to remote operations after the December 17th earthquake.

The team stayed focused, wrapping up financial reports, searching for a new office space, and looking into long-term solutions like solar power and Starlink to keep things running smoothly.

January was also a big month with the #SnapElection. Through the She Can Vote media campaign, we kept the conversation going on accountability, transparent leadership, and why women’s political participation matters. We also took a moment to acknowledge the incredible women who stood as candidates, recognizing their courage and leadership. And when the results came in, we celebrated Marie Louise’s election as the only woman in Parliament this term—congratulations to her!

We hosted the Workforce Support Seminar, giving leaders the tools to guide their teams through the challenges of post-earthquake recovery. Plus, plans moved forward for the Travelling Show—an initiative that will offer support to response and recovery efforts in evacuation centers.

It’s been a busy start, but we’re moving forward with purpose—read more about what we’ve been up to!

Projects

Sista Gat Style 2025 – Vanuatu Daily Post

TANKIU TUMAS to our amazing siSTARS who let us celebrate them last year in our Sista Gat Style!

From creatives and leaders to businesswomen and changemakers, each feature has highlighted the power, passion, and resilience of women in Vanuatu.

With everything our communities have been through, especially following the recent earthquake, the team at Sista would like to encourage you to prioritize self-care, give yourself some much needed grace, and support those around you. Recovery takes time, so be kind to yourself in the process.

Sista Gat Style will be back with more inspiring women in Vanuatu Daily Post’s Life & Style Magazine in February 2025!

She Can Vote Media Campaign

Last year in December the team prepared and held the “She Can Vote Mini Forum” which brought together women from civil society across the six provinces of Vanuatu to discuss key issues affecting women and young women. From this forum an outcome statement was created and finally shared in January as a basis for women to raise their concerns with the country’s leaders.

While this was happening, the communications team at Sista took to social media where they shared quotes around the importance of accountability and transparent leadership as well as encouraging people, especially women, to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming #SnapElection. Check out our Instagram page for all the empowering content the comms team shared over this period!

The communications team also shared key information from the Vanuatu Electoral Office (VEO) in the lead up to the election. Relevant resources around ‘how to vote’, ‘what to bring to your polling station’ and key dates were cross shared weekly. A huge shout out to the VEO team for their work to mobilize and prepare the country for the #SnapElection.

Response and Recovery Support – World Vision Vanuatu

After the December 17^th earthquake, Sista’s Communications & Advocacy Coordinator volunteered to support World Vision’s (WV) response team in the aftermath.

She worked closely with their response teams to draft the organization’s Situational Reports, which were shared with key stakeholders involved in the relief efforts. She also assisted WV’s Communications Officer by capturing content during a key donor visit and writing a press release for the Vanuatu Daily Post. Additionally, Sista’s Comms Coordinator developed a Communications Strategy to guide their Communications Officer’s efforts throughout 2025.

She supported the WV team from December 22, 2024, to January 29, 2025.

Workforce Support Seminar

On 31st January 2025, Sista hosted a seminar aimed at equipping middle and senior management with practical strategies to support and motivate their teams in the aftermath of the December 17th, 2024, earthquake. The seminar focused on leadership, resilience, and mental health, providing participants with the tools needed to guide their teams through challenging times.

The event was supported by Sista’s Program Manager and Logistics Officer and had 13 middle and senior management participants attend from various companies in Port Vila. The seminar also featured two presenters: Heidi Dinning and Jane Laycock. Two amazing women who shared their expertise and experience on leadership and mental health support.

The participants shared much positive feedback, many emphasizing that they believe that the insights gained during this seminar will greatly support the middle and senior management participants as they continue to support their teams in rebuilding and navigating the aftermath of the earthquake.

THANK YOU to everyone who attended and were willing to learn with and from each other.

Travelling Show

This month the Project team focused on planning and developing the concept notes and workplans for two key initiatives as part of recovery and response to the Earthquake Vanuatu had experienced on Dec 17,2024 and forward thinking to future natural disasters; Travelling Show and the Workforce Support Seminar.

The Travelling Show initiative provides essential disaster response and awareness resources to vulnerable communities by setting up solar-powered, portable video screening units in evacuation centers. These units deliver both educational and recreational content, offering life-saving information and emotional relief, especially for women and children. The initiative focuses on critical issues such as disaster preparedness, and GBV while supporting the Gender & Protection Cluster’s efforts to promote community resilience and safeguard vulnerable populations.

We can’t wait to share this initiative with you all!

Young Women’s Leadership Program and Young Men Initiative – CARE

At the start of January, the Project Coordinator focused on reviewing and editing four concept notes for the Young Women’s Leadership Program and the Young Men’s Initiative’s panel discussions scheduled for this year. The four concept notes cover the following topics: Building Women in Leadership, Women in Business, the History of International Women’s Day, and the Feminist Movement in Vanuatu.

Gender Equality Together (GET) Catch Up – CARE

On January 24th, 2024, Sista’s Program Manager, Project Coordinator, and Communication and Advocacy Coordinator had a quick catch up with Juliet and Jackson from the GET team at CARE.

The two teams touched based on how each team have been since the Earthquake, how they are feeling for the Year ahead and did a quick review over GET’s timeline and key tasks for the year. Provided the recent 7.3 magnitude earthquake, several developments and new considerations have now come into play altering these timelines, prompting us to check the status of the GET team personally, and to discuss any potential changes to the plans and schedules for these programs briefly.

To end the catch up, the teams agreed that a formal meeting would be scheduled for the following week to review adjustments to in-depth plans and timelines. A huge shout out to CARE for the continuous support and partnership this year. We can’t wait to work together in the months ahead of us!

We Rise Comms Officer – Online meetings and Supporting Sista

The We Rise Coalition (WRC) comms officer assisted Sista’s communications team when work resumed on the 6^th of January. She assisted in creating content and managing the Sista social media platforms.

As part of her WRC role, she hosted an online meeting with International Women Development Agency (IWDA) to discuss the WRC communications strategy with Sista and get their input on it. The meeting concluded with everyone agreeing to continuously add comments to the document until the WRC annual retreat.

Other News

Navigating Moving Parts in Finance and Admin

This month was about resilience, giving each other grace and keeping things running despite the challenges.

Due to an executive decision made by the Sista board, the team left the office building and shifted to remote work while pushing forward with key tasks. We submitted donor reports on time, finalized service contracts for Sista Gat Style, and started looking for a new office space to ensure a safe and stable work environment.

Support from our donors helped us replace damaged assets and cover internet costs, keeping us connected. We also worked on an emergency plan and explored investments in solar power and Starlink to make our operations more sustainable.

As we move forward, we remain focused on supporting Sista’s mission and ensuring the financial sustainability of our operations.

We are optimistic about the future and can’t wait to settle into our new office space, where we hope to rebuild, thrive as a team and harness our #gelpawa!

Follow Sista

NEWS

‘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

read more...
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

read more...
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

read more...
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

read more...
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

read more...