The Vanuatu National Parliament has injected Vt125,000 towards the second edition of the Lapita event that will be held next month at Teouma Valley, Efate.
The sponsorship was the first of its kind from the Parliament to this particular event.
The main focus of this year’s event is to introduce the slow food concept to the youth and residents of Efate and Port Vila, using the Lapita Culture, and highlighting food as an inspiration, a way forward to a healthy nation.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Edwin Macreveth, supports the idea saying it is the duty of the government to sponsor the event given that it was a home-grown activity.
“Such cultural event like this is a home-grown idea, thus the Vanuatu government must take the lead to finance the event.”
He said the country should not depend on aid donors to fund the event as it addresses “our culture with the aim of promoting it amongst our young people and thus the government should fund the event to be seen as supporting and promoting Vanuatu Culture”.
Macreveth said he hoped other government departments can step in to assist the event.
The second Lapita edition will be hosted by the Teouma Valley Community from November 16 to 20 under the theme ‘a healthy youth, a healthy future, looking to Lapita for inspiration’.
The general objective of hosting Lapita Festival is to highlight Vanuatu’s diverse culture by telling the story of the Lapita people, Vanuatu’s ancestors who first settled these islands 3,000 years ago. READ MORE
SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST