Waterfall Hydro brings light and opportunity to Pentecost mothers

Nov 10, 2025 | Initiatives and Projects | 0

From wild canes, coconut leaves, hurricane lamps, torches, and solar lights, mothers from the Vanmelang to Baravet area now welcome the Waterfall Hydro Power Project.

They said it will help solve the challenges women face at home today. Jerolyne Mabon and Rinnet Bulere said that in terms of weaving during the night, they will now benefit from electricity supplied by the Waterfall Hydro Project.

They said sometimes they have to wake up in the middle of the night to cook lunch for their children before they leave for school in Lalsadet, Ranwadi, Ranmawat, and Melsisi.

Mabon and Bulere made the statement during a series of trainings and meetings about the advantages, disadvantages, and safe use of electricity.

The two mothers said they see more advantages than disadvantages. They noted that one drawback is the extra expenses, such as electricity bills, which they never had before the hydro power project. The main benefit, they said, is having electricity at home.

“We hope our children will do well in their studies. Some of us have solar, but during bad weather, the batteries fail. Some use generators but have to buy fuel to get light at home. Hydro power will help some of us start small businesses,” said Mabon and Bulere.

The two mothers said they are fortunate to have hydro power near Vanmelang so they can continue and pass on traditional weaving knowledge.

They added that there is high demand for red mats and island baskets.

“Women in villages have set up groups and choose one day a week to weave. Mothers with electricity will also help others weave at night and work in the gardens during the day. The red mats of Pentecost now cost between VT5,000 and VT20,000 depending on quality and patterns. Some patterns are sacred and were once used as traditional currency,” they said.

Mabon and Bulere said Vanmelang, about 2 kilometres from the Waterfall Hydro Power site, is a historical centre for traditional mat weaving on Pentecost.

According to history, a woman named Matanwip sought a quiet place to focus on colouring and weaving patterns for mats and baskets.

She travelled around the island and finally settled in a cave at Vanmelang, away from disturbances such as men drinking kava at night. There she weaved and multiplied the first red mats, which became the wealth of Pentecost and surrounding islands such as Maewo, Ambae, Ambrym, and Malekula. Pentecost continues traditional trade exchanges between these islands.

Today, paintings of the patterns Matanwip used can still be seen inside the Vanmelang cave, which is now a protected area.

To preserve the cave during the construction of phase 1 of the Pentecost tar-sealed road, the road was diverted, and Tanmonok Philipe sacrificed part of his village to protect the cave and its paintings for future generations.

Red mats of Pentecost play an important role in the island’s customs and in ceremonies across other islands of Vanuatu.

Recently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) gathered 30 women from Nambarangiut in North Pentecost, where hydro power is already available, as well as from Laringmat and nearby villages around Waterfall, to attend a workshop preparing them for electricity in their homes.

As Pentecost locals welcome clean, renewable electricity under the Vanuatu Green Energy Transformation (VGET) Project, women and female youth from Waterfall, Melsisi, Laringmat, and Nambarangiut gathered at Ranwadi School for a three-day Green Skills Development Training Programme. The workshop focused on empowering women to use electricity safely, productively, and sustainably.

“We are learning how to manage appliances and installations. We know the dangers of improper use of electricity and how it can harm our bodies or cause fires at home. This is new for us, and we don’t yet know all the implications, so this training is really useful,” said Doris Savu, 51, from Laringmat.

“This workshop is getting us ready for the arrival of electricity in our homes and daily lives,” added Pamela Kayo from Melsisi.

The training, held from 30 September to 2 October 2025, comes ahead of the completion of three pico-hydro power stations being built under the VGET project. The project is funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Department of Energy under the Ministry of Climate Change, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Management of Vanuatu.

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Waterfall Hydro brings light and opportunity to Pentecost mothers

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