Vista Volunteer Service Abroad 2019

1 Vista is a celebration of our amazing volunteers in the Pacific and beyond.

We send skilled Kiwis to share their experience and knowledge directly with local people and communities. Right now, all around our region, VSA volunteers are working on everything from mental health in to safe water in . Together with our partners, our volunteers build local businesses, provide education and improve health, safeguard the environment and foster good governance.

Working together with our regional partners, our volunteers create new opportunities for people that will continue to ripple across communities and generations to come.

Connecting people – transforming lives.

Get in touch

www.vsa.org.nz

Front cover: Peter in Choiseul, . Photographer: Patrick Rose. Contents page: Beach fales in . Photographer: Benjamin Bowles. Opposite: Jackie Cronin and Elmah Panisi in Solomon Islands. Photographer: Patrick Rose. Back cover: Timor-Leste. Photo: Kaitlin Scott

Connecting people – transforming lives 3 Our stories

6 News

8 Cricket mad in Timor

Kia ora, 10 Enterprising women in Bougainville

12 Building back in Welcome to this edition of Vista. The year has started off busy and exciting, with 99 volunteers currently around the Pacific, 16 Returned Volunteer survey results Timor-Leste and Cambodia. We now have our first volunteers working in Tuvalu) and a growing number of opportunities in 20 It takes a village to build a village

Kiribati and Samoa where we’re expanding our programmes. 22 VSA goes to the Pacific Games

Looking ahead, one of our objectives this year is to strengthen 24 Motivated media in Solomon Islands how we engage and work with youth across the Pacific, and include more young New Zealanders in our mahi.This will build 25 Iron fish in Timor-Leste on our successful UniVol programme, but also explore how we can create more opportunities for a wider group of younger 26 Vista cover photo competition people who have so much to contribute to a world with 28 Fresh water after the volcano thriving communities. We look forward to updating you more about this over the year. 30 Back in Tuvalu

I hope you enjoy this latest copy of Vista and from it gain a sense 31 Resettling in Kiribati of the great things happening in Pacific and wider communities through the efforts of our many volunteers. Our values • commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Stephen Goodman, VSA CEO • respectful partnerships • working and learning together • cross-cultural understanding Volunteer Service Abroad Te Tu-ao Ta-wa-hi • fairness, social justice and Patron: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Dame This document is printed on Patsy Reddy GNZM QSO DStJ environmentally responsible paper, self-determination President: Dr Simon Mark. Council Chair: Evan Mayson produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) Third Party certified pulp • the power of Council members: Deidre Brookes, John Bowis, Kirsty Burnett, Peter from Responsible Sources, and Elmsly, Dana MacDiarmid, Kirikaiahi Mahutariki (Deputy Chair), Hone manufactured under strict ISO14001 McGregor, Olivia Owen, Hannah Stewart, Simon Trotter Environmental Management System. Volunteer Service Abroad Te Tūao Tāwāhi Inc is a registered Chief Executive Officer: Stephen Goodman MNZM Printed and supported by (CC36739) under the Charities Act 2005. Wakefields Digital. © VSA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1176-9904 Reproduction of content is allowed for usage in primary and secondary schools, and for tertiary studies.

5 News

VSAConnect It’s even easier to stay in touch with fellow returned volunteers now – we have set up a Facebook group, where VSA alumni can make contact, share memories and keep up-to-date with what’s happening with current volunteers. Just search Facebook for “Friends of VSA”, or email [email protected].

On the cover We asked current and recent volunteers to VSA’s new Programme Manager in Solomon Islands, Morgan Hanks and VSA’s Country Programme Officer Lydia Dentana. send us their top photos for this issue of Vista and Patrick Rose’s portrait of Peter was Meet our new programme managers our cover pick. Patrick writes, “Peter rows the ferryboat between Taro and Supizae in Over the last year, we’ve expanded Meanwhile, Morgan Hanks has Choiseul. Every year the distance gets longer the number of offices we have replaced Kesaya Baba in Solomon because both islands are shrinking as the sea around the Pacific, with more staff Islands, former volunteer Christine level rises. Hundreds of times a week, Peter based in the field, to enable us to Ramsay is the new Bougainville PM rows his passengers across the short stretch grow our relationships with our after Paul Bedggood’s departure, of water taking people to work and returning partners throughout the region. and Loren Rutherford has moved them home. Because of climate change, the Trevor Johnston is our first from the office to Dili to township of Taro will relocate to the mainland Programme Manager in Kiribati, take the reins from Victoria Gregory. leaving Peter facing an uncertain future.” Our and will also look after Fiji and Tuvalu; Johannes Gambo and Nadine other picks are on pages 26-27, and you can Tina Mackie is based in the Tonga, Tuipulotu continue their roles in see more of Patrick’s photos at and overseeing Niue and the Cook and Vanuatu. www.beforetheflood.org Islands; and Samantha Hoskins has Check out our website for fuller joined long-time Programme Officer profiles of all our Programme Faleolo Leo in the Apia office. Managers.

VSA on film

Earlier this year, we premiered a set of new short videos featuring volunteers and their colleagues and communities. Most of Trevor Johnston Tina Mackie Samantha Hoskins Christine Ramsay Loren Rutherford the films were shot by local videographers, Fiji, Kiribati and , Samoa Bougainville Timor-Leste with music also provided by local artists. Tuvalu Tonga and Niue Watch them at: http://bit.ly/VSAvideo

6 7 Practice at the Dili Cricket Ground. Photo: Adam Constanza Lara Akbaba and Mark Young. Photo: Adam Constanza

Cricket mad in Timor The next step is using their brand unique pitch hazards - pigs, dogs new portable pitch, which will give and traffic. Inspired by Afghanistan, which them a better surface to play on and Timor-Leste is a soccer-mad Mark says the players are unfazed joined the International Cricket more options of where to play, which country, but in the last few months by their new fame, though “the Council in 2001 and is now ranked is vital to continue building skills. volunteer Mark Young has been exposure has resulted in approaches helping to grow a youth cricket 8th in the T20 competition, Mark saw “The players, coaches and to Timor-Leste Cricket from potential programme that kids are so keen a future for Timor-Leste cricket to administrators of Timor-Leste local sponsors, an offer from NT to join, they travel long distances grow, and offer new opportunities Cricket are very excited about Cricket Association (Darwin) to and play on a dusty, stony pitch. to young people. where all this could lead !” participate in some coaching courses “They’re so passionate, they Around 100 youth practice and and Timor-Leste coming onto the practice three or four times a play regularly, and nearly half of The story has attracted interest in radar of the ICC as a potential new week – they’ve even made their those are young women. Mark established cricketing countries member. The players, coaches and own bats!” Mark says. Mark went says, “The cricket is important, but - after coverage here in Aotearoa, administrators of Timor-Leste Cricket to Dili in January 2018 with his it’s also an enabler to give kids a the story was picked up by Agence are very excited about where all this partner Lara Akbaba to work as an sense of purpose and get them France Presse and run in India, could lead!” Pakistan and Australia. When Channel Organisational Development Mentor into education.” If you would like to make a to with TradeInvest. As a “cricket tragic”, 7 Melbourne took a film crew over support VSA programmes like these, he quickly sniffed out a fledgling Successful by Mark and to get footage, the players were so visit www.vsa.org.nz/donate or email local cricket programme started by a VSA over the Christmas period saw keen to get the story out that they [email protected] couple of expats and joined in outside Mark return to Dili after a break with were at their Dili ground before of his assignment. 150kg of quality gear - thanks to 7.00am, ready to play among their generous supporters including DHL. 8 9 Stigma around menstruation and poor access to sanitary products create huge barriers for women and girls in Bougainville.

“If they haven’t got pads, the girls don’t go to school, women don’t go to meetings, they won’t leave their homes because of the Anne and Peter Bellingham embarrassment,” says Anne. After six weeks of trials the group developed a simple pattern. Made from scary”. These days, “I feel far more Anne Bellingham with students. Photo: Vasti Venter flannelette pajamas and cotton shirts, and umbrella or shower curtain fabric, confident talking to people”. fixed with a single button. Enterprising women in Bougainville The girls are now busy planning for “We wanted to develop a sanitary their next big challenge. Anne has Much of that is down to Anne. In 2015, the future was uncertain pad that women in remote villages, secured a generous grant from the She first came to Chabai as an for five young women from if they didn’t have a sewing machine, Norman Kirk Memorial Fund, which accompanying partner to her husband villages near Chabai in could make by hand,” says Anne. supports ‘second chance’ education Peter, on assignment with the Bougainville. Four years on, thanks The girls sell a pack of six pads for or training. It will enable her and Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation. to volunteer Anne Bellingham, 15 kina, $NZ7.50. the girls to travel for two weeks in things are looking brighter. Founded by the formidable Sister June, running workshops for women Lorraine Garasu, the centre runs The 12 girls Anne started with in isolated areas in Bougainville. As At 24, Ludwina was clever, but she’d three safe houses for victims of gradually reduced to five core usual, they’ll sell along the way to left school early with no qualifications sexual and family violence, as members. Eventually, after much cover their costs. and no job to go to. “I was at home well as training workshops and encouragement, they began running doing nothing,” she says. peace-building initiatives for the workshops teaching other women For young women who until recently had never left their home regions, Today, she couldn’t be busier. wider community. how to make the pads and care it’s a huge step. All the women Ludwina sews clothes, bags and for them. Sr Lorraine shoulder-tapped Anne, a say they’re happy and excited at sanitary products which she sells for former school technology technician “When we ran our first workshop,” the prospect. a small profit – and when she’s not and scout leader, and asked if she’d says Julia (22), “we had 30 women doing that, she’s running workshops consider teaching sewing and English and two sewing machines. I felt Both Celine and Julia plan to start teaching other young women the to a group of at-risk young women. scared because I [wasn’t] used their own small businesses from same skills. to standing and talking in front of home, and all the women are Anne and her girls have designed determined to continue sewing and “My life is different now,” she says. people… [Now] I feel confident. I feel and developed a product desperately teaching others. As Celine says: “The “Everything I know, it is easy to do. very happy and interested in running needed in Bougainville: reusable skills and knowledge I get from Anne I feel proud.” the workshops in different places.” sanitary pads. make my life different and I can do Celine (27) ran her first workshop things by myself now.” while Anne was away; it was “very

10 11 Building back in Tonga

After Cyclone Gita struck Tonga in February last year, generous VSA supporters made it possible for us to provide grants to our partners to enable their recovery. In March, VSA’s Fundraising Manager Fiona Smith visited Nuku’alofa to see what our supporters have made possible, one year on. A Nuku’alofa woman outside her house, built by MORDI Volunteer Bruce Johnson had just finished an assignment in Tonga and was due to return to compliment the local skill base. So when Cyclone Gita struck. He says, when asked to help with a food “The devastation that Cyclone Gita security and livelihood program I was left in its wake was horrifying and more than happy to agree.” the impact it had on friends here was heartbreaking. It was hard to imagine His post-Gita assignments have how things could be put right, been with Mainstreaming of Rural certainly in the short term. Some of Development Innovation Tonga Trust the food crops were badly damaged (MORDI), a community development or destroyed during the cyclone and organisation. MORDI works it was very clear that local production alongside communities in Tonga of food crops would be negatively to enable them to fight poverty by impacted.” developing livelihoods and ensuring good health and self-sufficiency. To Bruce had already undertaken work with MORDI, communities horticulture and agriculture must show they’re engaging all their assignments in Papua New Guinea members, with an emphasis on and Bougainville, and having decided giving voice to women and youth. to stay on to work on the Cyclone They will establish community and Gita recovery, is now on his sixth school gardens, educate people in assignment. He says, “Having maintaining their own food gardens worked on a farmer education/food and spread information about health, security assignment here in the past, wellbeing and the environment, I had some knowledge that could particularly climate change resilience.

Soane Patolo, MORDI General Manager, and Bruce Johnson. Photo: Sarah Gardenier

12 13 VSA provided MORDI with financial Another victim of Cyclone Gita was grants to support communities extracurricular school activities, with seedlings to re-establish those as the Ministry of Education household and community gardens was concentrating on rebuilding after Cyclone Gita, and to support the damaged schools. The Tongan plant nursery in Tongatapu. Because Health Promotion , Sunday is a day of rest in Tonga, where volunteer Marg Armstrong is and young seedlings need seven- working, was trying to expand the day care in a tropical environment, “Mai e Nima” (Five+ a day) pilot to grants were also made to build an all schools in Tonga, to encourage automatic irrigation system. This healthy eating, but found that in the enabled Sunday watering, but also recovery, teachers simply didn’t have freed up nursery staff to upskill in the capacity to take it on. more areas. While the nursery had eight staff, only one had agricultural Marg says “Because Mai e Nima training. Now, all eight have the skills and the NRL share a common goal, to manage a nursery, and a team they formed a partnership. of four has re-established MORDI’s “Thanks to good feedback and the nursery in ‘Eua. NRL’s track record, they were given “I’m fortunate,” Bruce says, “to permission from the Ministry of be working with a great team Education to increase these and of committed, hardworking and Mai e Nima has been able to use supportive colleagues.” He says that a portion of that to teach students Soane Patolo, MORDI’s General about the benefits of healthy Manager, shows “The difference lifestyles and good nutrition.” that good leadership makes. The Marg and Bruce have also connected success of MORDI comes down to their assignments - when a school exceptional leadership - making the goes through the Mai e Nima impossible happen.” programme, MORDI helps them to Soane, in turn, is complimentary put a school garden in. of Bruce: “It is the way that Bruce If you would like to make a donation to transfers the knowledge. It is well support VSA programmes like these, and good to have knowledge, but visit www.vsa.org.nz/donate or email you have to be able to share it.” [email protected]

Marg Armstrong delivering a Mai e Nima workshop. Photo: Sarah Gardenier 14 15 Returned volunteers survey Late last year, we surveyed our returned volunteers about their VSA experience, what motivated them to volunteer and what they have done since.

We received wonderful, thoughful responses – thank you to everyone who took part. We’ll share more insights over the year, but here’s a flavour:

84% of respondents gave their assignment at least 8 out of 10

Of the people who found their assignment “very challenging”,

46% gave their assignment a 10/10.

Left: VSA volunteer Ashlee Gross in Bougainville by Adam Constanza 16 17 85% of respondents have kept in touch with friends and colleagues made on assignment - some for decades.

“As a Pasifika person born and bred in the Pacific I wanted to give back to the Pacific and share my experience and knowledge.”

“I had recently lost my wife and the opportunity came for a volunteer to work in the area of my expertise which was not common. So I thought I would take the opportunity, otherwise I might regret in the future. And my late wife would have thought it was a good idea and indeed it turned out to be so.”

72% of volunteers who’ve returned since 2010 would go again.

Opposite: VSA volunteer Ashlee Gross in Bougainville by Adam Constanza 18 19 Gordon Botha at work One of the (almost) completed houses. Photo: Gordon Botha

It takes a village to build a village

Volunteer Gordon Botha headed The Low Income Housing Project is Archbishop Panfilo will meet half the Married with two children and a third off to Papua New Guinea the brainchild of Rabaul’s Archbishop cost of each house with money from on the way, he and his family had thinking he was going to be an Francesco Panfilo. Gordon says the the sold church land, leaving K30,000 been living in one room of a house administration adviser to the Archbishop – an Italian – has taken to to be paid by each new homeowner – they shared with three other families. Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul. heart Pope Francis’s pronouncements an amount that would be out of reach “Dean moved straight up there: he Little did he imagine he’d end up on alleviating poverty, and decided for most. So at the suggestion of the started doing things to the place, a building project manager. it’s time for the Church in Papua New archdiocese’s administrator Doug Guinea to divest itself of some of its Tennent, they adopted the Habitat for adapting it for his purpose. And it A primary school principal and sizeable land holdings. Humanity concept of “sweat equity”. was wonderful to see. He went from teacher for nearly 40 years, Gordon living in a single room with his whole had been told he’d be providing To help fund the project, Panfilo sold Under the sweat equity system, family to living in a three-bedroom administrative support to the project some valuable church land to the homeowners can work off up to house.” manager of the archdiocese’s provincial government for a promised half of their debt through labour or low-income housing build, planned K4 million (NZ$1.7 million). This was some other contribution to the The last house was completed in for Kokopo. to be paid out in tranches, and other new community. July, and Gordon says the village is promised funding had never arrived. now buzzing. “But I got off the plane and everyone The new homes are completely said ‘hey hey, our project manager’s So the challenge Gordon faced was off-grid: the power comes from solar “I went up to visit on the night of my arrived!’ So that’s what I was. With to build as many homes as possible panels and water is collected from farewell party, and to see the solar a lifetime in teaching and school within the drastically reduced budget. the roof into tanks. security lights on and everybody administration!” Incredibly, he and his team managed sitting under their solar lights and all to build 10 new houses – at a cost of One of the first houses went to the kids out running around, it was roughly NZ$26,000 each. Dean, a younger Archdiocese worker really great.” who was in the construction crew. 20 21 VSA goes to the Pacific Games

“Samoa, We On!” The rallying Games Office Transport Coordinator, Sala’ilua Primary School on the big cry from the Pacific Games 2019 says a big part of the volunteers’ island, Savai’i, are recycling plastic Organising Committee has pulled work will be ensuring that the containers as planters to green their together the entire country to do experience of organising the Games school and community. Principal what the Committee calls “the is captured: “There are lots of people Tapuai Filipo told the Games’ news unimaginable - organising the with the knowledge, but it’s in their team that “You take care of the 16th Pacific Games in 14 months.” head,” she says. “I’m trying to get all environment, it will take care of you. this on paper and leave a reference It’s become one of the core aspects With an expected 3000 delegates guide for transport so for future we are trying to develop in families.” representing 22 countries in 28 events in Samoa there’ll already be sports, it was a huge ask for Samoa plans in place.” Our volunteers are relishing the to take on hosting after Tonga, the challenge: Rachel says “The job original host, withdrew in early 2017 Not content with putting on a great description could’ve been written due to the cost. Games, the Committee has also with me in mind - I really want to committed to “greening the games”, share my knowledge and help in any VSA recruited and sent six volunteers looking at alternatives to single-use way I can on an event that is very in record time to work with the plastic at events and using it as an significant to the people of Samoa.” Office of the Pacific Games. They’re opportunity to get schools involved. supporting the Office for seven Find out more: months, having started in February, Schools have “adopted” competing www.samoa2019.ws then seeing the Games through countries in order to learn about www.facebook.com/samoa2019 July 7-20. different Pacific cultures and the Samoan athletes prepare for the Games. environment. New Zealand’s Photos: Benjamin Bowles Rachel Milroy, who’s volunteering as adoptive guardians, the students at

22 23 Motivated media in Solomon islands

Philippa Stevenson is an award- winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in print, radio, television and online media. Over a six-month assignment with Isles The workforce is young, she says, Media in Solomon Islands, she found which is not unusual internationally Danielle Petrie-Deely is on her a media scene that is motivated as wages in journalism are low second assignment with World but poorly resourced. and more experienced reporters Vision Timor-Leste, working as a are lured to higher salaries offered Design, Monitoring & Evaluation Isles Media is a locally owned by Government and private Assistant. She writes about a new business founded in 2009 with the Communications and PR roles. In nutrition programme. funding for most of them, and they birth of the Sunday Isles Newspaper, the Solomons, 69% of journalists have since been distributed to staff a weekly general newspaper. They Anaemia is severe here, and has are under 29. Isles Media mostly to use in their homes. Cooking with then expanded into sports reporting far-ranging consequences. It causes employs young graduates from the one in your water or cooking pot with Raw Sports, published weekly, mental and physical stunting (Timor School of Journalism at Solomon for 10 minutes, three times a week and introduced women’s affairs has the third highest rates of these, Islands National University (SINU), for six months has been proven to reporting with Solomon Women globally), as well as increasing the however less than a fifth of the significantly increase iron measures. Newspaper, also published weekly. risk of maternal and child mortality. media workforce overall have a I have been working with my team It decreases IQ by a whole standard tertiary qualification and Philippa here, especially the maternal and There are two other newspapers in deviation, and reduces productivity, says that in her six months of being child health and nutrition specialist, Solomon Islands. Philippa says “the which leads to a drop in wages and an “active consumer” of Solomon to design a pilot to test if these Iron mix of venerable publishers and decreases GDP. It disproportionately Islands media, simple errors, lack Fish will be effective and culturally broadcasters in Solomon Islands affects women and children. alongside feisty start-ups and lively of substantiation in stories and acceptable in this context. entrepreneurs makes for a small but language barriers were apparent - The World Health Organisation has We have done cooking demos and vibrant media scene.” journalists tend to conduct interviews said it is one of the biggest issues created a short basic video about in Pidjin and translate to English for facing global health. I had done how to use them, and plan to start While Philippa’s assignment was publication, which leads to nuance a University assignment on the our 12-month pilot in July. to work with Isles Media, she also getting lost in the process. “Lucky Iron Fish intervention” - a looked into ensuring its publications cost-effective, safe and sustainable Photo: l-r: Abrao Pinta, District Programme Health Despite the challenges, Philippa says, are compliant with practices and method to decrease anaemia. Officer for Health Promotion at the municipal level ethics under the Media Association “their eagerness to learn and be the Ministry of Health, Baucau;Danielle Petrie-Deeley; of Solomon Islands (MASI). She best journalists and photographers I bought these Iron Fish (pictured Louisa Cabral, DPHO for Nutrition at the municipal level Ministry of Health, Baucau; and Junilda Maria wound up writing a review and they could be is inspiring.” above) with me in January (the first Vila Nova, World Vision Timor-Leste Baucau Area recommendation paper for MASI. ever in Timor). I managed to find Manager 24 25 Vista cover competition 2 This page (left to right) 1. VSA Volunteer Mike Peters drinks a coconut at a cultural show in Samoa by Ben Bowles. 2. A beach scene with a family and a coconut tree by Matthew Lambie in Bougainville. 3. Learning the step by step of traditional cooking with the women from the Wairiki village (Gazelle District, East New Britain) Papua New Guinea, by Carolina Sales Opposite page (left to right) 4. Local fisherman casting his net in the shallow coral reef off the island of Tongatapu, Nuku’alofa. In Tonga by Graeme Atkinson. 5. Three beauties selling veges outside Dili Institute of Technology in Timor -Leste by Sue Marshall. 6. VSA Volunteer Rosie Watson & pikinini at Tamboko High School, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

26 27 Fresh water after the volcano

VSA was delighted to form a The system of solar panels and partnership with Engineers Without pumps will replace a small petrol Borders (EWB) in 2017, and our generator the community has been first two VSA/EWB volunteers are using to pump water, and “brings in Vanuatu working as Provincial water closer to home for nearly 400 Water Sector Advisers with the residents that previously faced an Department of Water Resources. 800m walk to a slow trickle at a hand pump down the road.” Chris Hartnett has been in Vanuatu since July 2018, and Michelle Chris is a practical sort (he has been Knappstein since February this upcycling materials to build compost year. Chris’s arrival in Luganville, on bins and coconut scratchers, among Espirito Santo, was not long after other things), so he was pleased 11,000 people had been displaced to do “some real work”, he says, from Ambae, following the volcanic alongside the team doing panel eruptions. Absorbing thousands installation and pipe-fitting. more people, forced to abandon their homes often with nothing, has been “The community at Manaro a challenge, though Chris says he’s St (named after the Volcano been humbled by the generosity and that displaced them from resilience he’s seen. Ambae island) are now the proud owners of a solar water Providing fresh water for the new pumping system.” villages that popped up has been a priority. Vanuatu aims to have 100% “The systems provided by Savvy clean water access by 2030. Solar in Port Vila are surprisingly easy to install for anyone with a bit of DIY In the last month, he and his team skills,” he says, and the community have had a win, when, he says, “After will be involved in the final stages of endless months of assessments installing the tanks and facilitating the and patiently getting on with their Drinking Water Safety and Security business, the community at Manaro Plan workshops, to ensure longevity St (named after the Volcano that of the system. “There’s a long way displaced them from Ambae island) to go,” Chris says, “but these kinds are now the proud owners of a solar of systems show a lot of merit on an water pumping system.” island like Espirito Santo.”

Opposite: Chris Hartnett (right) with Demas Jerethy.

28 29 Resettling in Kiribati

Frances Hermann is on her third assignment with VSA, returning to Kiribati after two years to work with the Kiribati Ministry Frances Hermann with her MOE team of Education (MOE). Nauti Primary School. Photo: Denise Eddowes Back in Tuvalu Frances and husband John, who has country can do for its people, setting undertaken two assignments as a its children on a positive, resilient Land Survey Trainer with the Ministry path and providing a centre for a Denise Eddowes is one of VSA’s and is going through a rebuild so only of Environment Land and Agriculture community. At St Marian Catholic first volunteers to go to Tuvalu in 20 half the classrooms are available.” Development, were excited to return preschool in Buota, Frances says she years. She’s working alongside the Due to this, juniors attend in the to Tarawa after two years away. “It “chatted with a lovely Sister, and we Ministry of Education to support morning and seniors in the afternoon. has been special,” she says, “as we could sense that her investment into them to bring in Positive Behaviour “There’s no air-con in the classrooms were welcomed by past friends and the preschool made it the hub of that for Learning (PB4L), after corporal and by 9.00am it reaches 30-33 new workers. We feel very blessed remote community.” She adds that punishment was made illegal. Celsius. By the afternoon, children to have settled in quickly - there were she recently spent a morning with (as Kiwi teachers are aware) struggle, The Taupō local, accompanied by her even two bikes waiting at the house the Seventh Day Adventist preschool. so I feel a huge amount of empathy husband Mark, has quickly become for our use!” “There were groups of children two for these teachers.” involved in the community in Funafati, to five years old, all joining classes As an Early Childhood and Care for one to two hours. The roll is well even joining a clean-up in her first Denise is planning workshops Education (ECCE) Adviser, Frances over 100, with children attending two weeks as part of a Government adapted to meet the resources travels the country with an MOE to three days a week. Many parents initiative to tackle the country’s available. “I have not found one shop team to meet with ECCE providers. join in the younger classes to listen to dengue outbreak. that sells stickers and everything is An ECCE Act has just been passed songs, or they wait in the shade of a expensive.” Denise, Mark and fellow Mucking in and taking time to in Kiribati, with the intention of mwaneaba (open sided hall).” volunteer Hillary Boyes come up observe classes has been valuable, regulating all centres and creating the with a solution together (which fits she says: “I love doing this as it teacher registration system. “We feel very blessed to have Hillary’s assignment with the Ministry means I get to develop my skills in settled in quickly - there were for the Environment), to re-use tin The benefits of the relationship terms of learning a new culture and even two bikes waiting at the cans “and create an ‘I can’ can where Frances began building in her first putting my feet into the shoes they house for our use!” teachers and students pop in a small assignments are making themselves walk in.” clear, she says: “The teachers ask note of what they achieved and Frances will finish this assignment to hear my ideas and are really Denise says she’s already seen real then take it home at the end of the in June, and is confident that the welcoming, as they know me more strengths in Tuvalu’s teachers, but week to share their family. It’s about MOE team is in a good place: “These from last year’s training.” they work in challenging conditions. adapting PB4L strategies we use in are motivated, educated, supportive “Nauti Primary has over 800 students NZ to fit the culture here in Tuvalu.” Investment in good ECCE is one women who give me the feeling that of the most significant things a I’m in Kiribati at the right time!”

30 31 VSA sends skilled Kiwis overseas to share their experience and knowledge directly with local people and communities.

Working alongside our amazing partner organisations, together we create new opportunities for people that will continue to ripple across communities and generations to come. Costs covered. Diverse industries

volunteer/ donate at www.vsa.org.nz

32Connecting people – transforming lives