Issue One 2016

The
magazine
Volunteer Service Abroad ( VSA )
1 / MALIANA
NIGHTS of
VISTA

Kia ora. In May, we said Haere r (though its never really goodbye, when youre
involved with VSA) to Diane Thorne-George who, with husband Eric, has
been with us since 1999. After two volunteer assignments, she became our
Bougainville Programme Manager (PM), went on to be Vanuatu PM, and was
most recently Timor-Leste PM. At her farewell, she remarked that she felt lucky
to have seen the work the volunteers under her care have done, and thanked the
team here in New Zealand for starting those volunteers journeys, selecting and
sending the committed, talented Kiwis who go out into the wider Pacific.
I often say Imagine a world without volunteers, but I cant imagine VSA
without volunteers and not just those who work in the field. In New Zealand,
there are several groups who contribute to VSA on a voluntary basis our members, our regional branches
and our returned volunteers through our alumni association, VSAConnect. They all organise and host events,
connect us with other community organisations and most of all, spread the word about the work we do.
And theres the group who regularly give up their free time to help us with the most critical aspect of our work
the selectors who work with our recruitment team to select our volunteers.
For most volunteers, the recruitment process is the first contact they have with VSA, and many of them have
told me they see it as one of the most valuable parts of their assignment. Selection takes place over two days,
in which prospective volunteers learn more about their assignments, meet with a counsellor or psychologist to
talk through their readiness to volunteer and, finally, an expert panel who assess the candidates ability to meet
the professional and cultural requirements.
We are one of the few volunteer development agencies that still insists on such a rigorous, face-to-face process,
and as a result, recruitment is one of our great strengths. Its proof is in our volunteers success and our low
early return rate. The selectors give up their time and talents for us, to ensure we deliver value for money.
Throughout this issue of Vista, youll read volunteers own stories of making a difference the moments they
felt theyd made a breakthrough. We also have the stories of women whose lives have been turned upside down
in the last year by two category five cyclones, natural disasters that could strike at any time. While volunteer
assignments have specific objectives, these stories show that change can happen in the most unexpected of
ways. They show that we all have the same needs and aspirations: to be heard, and to ensure a better future
for all.
Thank you to our volunteers in the field who make change happen, and to our volunteers in New Zealand,
who help them on their way and support them on their journey.

Gill Greer, CEO

Te Tu-ao Ta-wa-hi Volunteer Service Abroad

Patron: His Excellency Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir
Jerry Mateparae GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand

Te Tao Twhi Volunteer Service Abroad Inc is a registered charity

(CC36739) under the Charities Act 2005.

President: Gavin Kerr, QSO

VSA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1176-9904 Reproduction of content is

allowed for usage in primary and secondary schools, and for tertiary studies.

Council Chair: Evan Mayson

Council members: Dr Simon Mark (Deputy Chair), Deidre Brooks,
Kirsty Burnett, Dr Jo Cribb, Peter Elmsly, David Glover, Farib Sos
MNZM, Sandy Stephens MNZM, Kirikaiahi Mahutariki.
Chief Executive Officer: Dr Gill Greer CBE, MNZM

The New Zealand Government is proud to provide significant support

through the New Zealand Aid Programme for New Zealand volunteers
who work in a development capacity overseas.

Vista is printed on environmentally responsible paper. It is chlorine free

and manufactured using sustainably farmed trees.
Vista is the official magazine of Te Tao Twhi Volunteer Service
Abroad Incorporated. Please note that views expressed in Vista are not
necessarily the views of VSA. Editorial and photographic submissions to
the magazine are welcome. Please address all queries and submissions to
the Editor, Vista, at vsa@vsa.org.nz.

Contents
6

Latest news

Frangipanis in bloom

11

Maliana nights

12

Celebrating Samoan women in politics

14

After the cyclones, the drought

16

Lunch on the ring of fire

17

A thriving Honiara library

18

Keeping volunteering in the whnau

VSA's latest developments

Improving the mental health service in Kiribati

A night market in Maliana, Timor-Leste

Challenging the masculine view of leadership

Telling the stories of families affected by Cyclone

Pam, a year later

A steamy lunch in Papua New Guinea

Honiara Public Library gets a make over

The Hogg family passed the volunteering bug from

kids to parents

Front Cover: A trained nurse-aide, Lody Samson, 39, is a mother

of three children under 14, including son Solomon Samson who is
8 months old. The coastal village of Koinga where she lives was hit
hard by Cyclone Pam, with their crops destroyed. After a dry season,
most of the villages water tanks are empty. Lody and her husband
feed people who come to the church, but the lack of water makes it
difficult. Koinga Village, Efate Island, Vanuatu, 21 January 2016.
Photographed by UN Women/Murray Lloyd.
Current page: Last tree standing. A symbol of resilience after severe
flooding in West Guale, Solomon Islands, 2014. Photographed by
Rachel Skeates.
Back cover: VSA volunteer Dave Morgan, Vanuatu. VSA volunteer
Peter Ward, Kiribati. VSA volunteer Elizabeth Brown, Vanuatu. VSA
volunteer Thoraya Abdul-Rassol, Samoa.

VSA volunteers work with people

throughout the wider Pacific to create
lasting, positive change for everyone.
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 disaster recovery in Vanuatu and
Fiji to safe drinking water for people in Kiribati. Together with our
partners, our volunteers are building local businesses, providing education
and improving health, safeguarding the environment and fostering good
governance, delivering nearly 200 community-driven and owned projects.
Working together with our regional neighbours, our volunteers create new
opportunities for people that will continue to ripple across communities and
generations to come.
You can be part of a story that began more than 50 years ago with our
founding President, Sir Edmund Hillary. Write your own chapter! Your skills
and support will make a difference to people who want a better life for
themselves and their children.

Become a
VSA volunteer

Become a
VSA supporter

Go to www.vsa.org.nz to find
out about application criteria, to
register to receive vacancies matching
your skills, or to see what
assignments are being advertised.

Your donation will allow us to send

more great volunteers and change
lives forever. Visit www.vsa.org.nz to
donate or to find out about becoming
a VSA member.

Get in touch:

VSA volunteer Vasti Venter joins in with a group of dancers performing

for guests attending a conference in Chabai, Bougainville.
4 / MALIANA NIGHTS VISTA

5 / MALIANA NIGHTS VISTA

VISTA LATEST NEWS

Helen Clark with VSA International Programme Manager, Junior Ulu.

A Kiwi in the top chair?

Volunteer Service Abroad has welcomed Helen Clarks
candidacy for United Nations Secretary General, which she
announced in April this year, saying people look to the
Secretary-General to give a voice to the voiceless.
Clark has a long relationship with VSA. In 2013, she took
part in Live Below the Line and spoke with CEO Gill Greer
about the challenges facing development. Shes an advocate

for volunteering, noting on International Volunteer Day in

December last year that "volunteerism can be a help in the
implementation of [the Sustainable Development Goals] by
reaching those who are marginalised and engaging people who
may otherwise not have a chance to make a difference in their
communities.
Helens international experience is exceptional, VSA CEO
Gill Greer said. She has used her influence to advocate
for marginalised people throughout the world. As head
of the United Nations Development Programme, she has
championed lasting, positive change for people living in
poverty and hardship, and she has been a long-time
supporter of the often unsung volunteers who make that
change happen.
VSA works across the wider Pacific region in partnership
with organisations of all sizes, from UN agencies to grassroots
groups. Greer said As weve seen in the last year, the Pacific is
extremely vulnerable to climate change, social and economic
upheaval. The international community has a huge task
ahead to address these problems. Helen Clarks experience,
pragmatism and compassion make her ideal. We wish her well
in her campaign.
While there is no deadline for election, it is expected that the
next Secretary-General will be appointed by October 2016.

Save the date for VSA Congress

This years VSA Congress a chance to hear
and share stories of your VSA experience
will be held on Saturday, November 5. The
theme this year is New Zealand and the
Pacific: Partners for a sustainable, resilient
future. Full details will sent out to members
closer to the time, and will be in the October
issue of Vista.
VSA volunteer Gerda Pentinga on a previous VSA assignment in Kiribati.

Innovative volunteering
models launched
Volunteer Gerda Pentinga is a pioneer of VSAs new
e-volunteering model.
Gerdas e-volunteering assignment as an English Language
Resource Development Adviser deals with two of TimorLestes challenges weak internet connectivity, and a
profusion of languages that makes teaching at any level
difficult. She is based in New Zealand, primarily using email.
This work follows an assignment in Kiribati, and builds on a
further assignment Gerda carried out at the start of the year in
Timor-Leste, spending three months developing a curriculum
in English for the IT and Engineering Department of the Dili
Institute of Technology (DIT).
She became an e-volunteer on returning home in May,
continuing work on the curriculum and taking advantage of
New Zealands faster, cheaper internet to research teaching of
technical subjects.

6 / LATEST NEWS VISTA

Sometimes technical information needs to be seen to be

understood, she says. I needed to download big images and
files to create teaching resources for areas like solar energy.
Gerda has one of the first of VSAs e-volunteering assignments,
enabling volunteers to support their partner organisations
from a distance, coupled with visits to build the relationship
and plan the work needed.
Another Timor-Leste volunteer, Herman van Gessel, has been
a successful guinea pig of the hub-and-spokes model, in
which a volunteer is partnered with a central organisation,
but works with others that need expert help on particular,
but similar, projects. Herman is based with CC Business
Solutions, an accounting firm in Dili, and so far has worked
with nine NGOs and small businesses providing financial
advice. Timor-Leste Programme Manager Diane ThorneGeorge (who has finished her latest contract with VSA, and
welcomed her successor Victoria Gregory) said the success of
Hermans assignment shows theres potential to use the model
in other areas, such as Human Resources or IT support. It
has been a great way to see that it can really work.

Entries open for journalism

excellence award

Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) New

Zealand Award for Excellence in
International Development Journalism

VSAs annual award for Excellence in International

Development Journalism is now in its third year, encouraging
New Zealand media to cover Pacific development issues. Last
years recipient, Ruth Keber, is a photojournalist for the Bay
of Plenty Times and NZ Herald online, and won the prize
for her in-depth coverage of the aftermath of Cyclone Pam in
Vanuatu. She will take her research trip back to Vanuatu this
year, enabling her to follow up her original stories and gain an
insight into VSAs work there.
This year, CEO Gill Greer is joined on the judging panel by
TVNZ Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver, RNZ Mori
Affairs Correspondent Mihi Forbes and journalist, editor,
academic (and former VSA volunteer) Jim Tully.
The deadline for entry is Monday, September 12, and the
winner of the award will receive a seven-day research trip to
VSAs programme in Timor-Leste. The topic for the 2016
award is International Development in the Asia-Pacific region.
For full details, entry forms and terms and conditions, visit
www.vsa.org.nz.

VSA volunteer Moniek Kindred being interviewed in Bougainville.

VSA would like to thank our valued partner Orbit Travel for
their continued support of the Award.

Do you or someone
you know, want to be
part of leading VSA?
Do you have the energy and drive to make
a difference? Are you a changemaker who
wants to build on the achievements of this
amazing organisation? Were looking for
people passionate about development to
stand as VSA Council Members.
We want people who are motivated to
achieve VSAs vision and live our values, and
have the time, passion and integrity to take
on all parts of the role.
To find out about elegibility criteria*, and
how to nominate and vote, visit

www.vsa.org.nz/vsa-council-election
*All returned volunteers and their accompanying partners are
Honorary Members for the remainder of the financial year in which
they returned, and then the entire subsequent financial year.
From the top down: VSA volunteer Peter Brown (second from left) in Vanuatu,
VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton (left) in Timor-Leste and VSA volunteer Dianne
Hambrook (left) in Vanuatu.

7 / LATEST NEWS VISTA

VSA volunteer Andrew Raven (left) with Dr Mireta Noere in Kiribati.

Te Meeria Mental Health taking part in World Mental Health Day in Kiribati.

Frangipanis in bloom mental health in Kiribati

Mental illness disproportionately affects people living in poverty and hardship, yet as many as nine
in 10 people in developing countries go without the mental health care they need. VSA volunteers
are working throughout the Pacific with local organisations to lift the stigma and provide support.
Until 2014, the psychiatric hospital in South Tarawa, Kiribati, was
known as The Mental. The 60-bed hospital was built in British
colonial days and is, like so many health facilities in the Pacific,
under resourced, even as mental illness in Kiribati becomes more
common.
On World Mental Health Day (October 10) in 2014, The Mental
became Te Meeria, I-Kiribati for Frangipani. The name was
suggested by one of the hospitals patients, and marked the start of a
campaign of community outreach.
VSA volunteer Andrew Raven, whos working with Te Meeria Mental
Health as a psychologist trainer, says its a really exciting time to be
involved in mental health in Kiribati, and for me as a volunteer its
been really satisfying.
Information about the rates of mental illness in the Pacific is hard
to come by, with few countries reporting patient data, but its global
impact is better understood. In 2010, the World Bank and World
Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that depression alone cost
US$800 billion in lost economic output, a sum expected to more
than double by 2030.
Andrew says that there are far too many people going without
support. The WHO did a review of mental health in Kiribati in
2013, as theyve done in a few other Pacific Island countries. Based
on Kiribatis population of 100,000, they estimated 1,500 people
have mental health problems. Were seeing maybe 200 of them, so
thats a significant number of people not getting the help they need.
Mental health was not included in the Millennium Development
Goals at all, despite three of those eight goals focussing on health
generally, and mental illness falling under the UNs convention on
the rights of persons with disability. It has some more visibility in
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), under SDG 3: ensure
8 / MENTAL HEALTH VISTA

US$800 billion lost in

economic output globally
due to depression

1 in 4 people will have

mental health problems
in their lives.

75% of suicides worldwide

are in low and middle-income countries.

Up to 90% of people with

mental health disorders in
developing countries will not
receive appropriate help.
By 2030, depression will be
the third-highest cause of
disease cost in low-income
countries.
Sources: WHO, Centre For Global Mental Health.

healthy lives and promote wellbeing. But international specialist

on mental health law Laura Davidson writes mental health
has never had parity with physical health. Despite compelling
economic arguments for investing in mental health, stigma
perpetuates the lack of resources.
And yet, Andrew says, mental health isnt resource-hungry. You
dont need a lot of stainless steel you dont need operating
theatres and x-ray machines. You need good people, a regular
supply of appropriate medication, and humane facilities." The
change in Kiribati has been largely driven by Dr. Mireta Noere,
an I-Kiribati women who trained as a psychiatrist in Fiji and
returned to her home country. In her ambition and desire to

1,500 people have mental health

problems. Were seeing maybe 200 of
them, so thats a significant number of
people not getting the help they need.

acts tend to do, then people will get institutionalised. If

theres a focus on less restrictive environments, then then
more patients can stay home with appropriate treatment
and support.
The process of shaping a mental health act is, in itself,
an education for the community, especially a small
community.
While theyre raising awareness, Andrew says they know
there are some big issues still to be faced: Big issues
include increasing drug and alcohol abuse, and Kiribatis
young population (half the population is under the age
of 25) having high rates of unemployment and higher
levels of addiction. Young people are very vulnerable to
impulsive acts of self-harm, and sometimes thats lethal.
The final draft of the national mental health policy
submitted by the Te Meeria team would pull Kiribati into
line with modern practice, and empower Te Meeria and
other agencies to work with those going without support
now. Andrew says, weve put mental health on the map.

VSA volunteer Andrew Raven

improve things for local people, she has set about creating a
community mental health service, which has occupied my time.
Weve got a home visiting service going.
Recently, Andrew and the home-visit team have been working
with Anna Maria, a young woman with a diagnosis of
schizophrenia. "I first met Anna Maria when she failed to attend
her outpatient appointment." Sitting on pandanus mats in the
home she shares with her parents, sisters and their husbands,
Anna Maria explained that she was pregnant and had thrown
away her medication out of concern for her baby.
Andrew says further discussion lead to her accepting that a full
relapse of her illness was not good for her, her baby or her family.
"We restarted her on a small dose of medication, talked with her
attentive and concerned mother about support with antenatal
care and asked the family to come to the next outpatient clinic.
Evening cool had set in as we returned to the hospital, sharing
concern for this lovely young woman and her baby."
Anna Maria still takes medication, but decided against an
increased dose as she felt she had learnt enough about her mental
health, was active around her home and at peace with family.
Andrew says, "Sixteen months ago, the mental health service
would not have been able to visit her at home, with a high
likelihood that Anna Maria would have experienced a relapse of
her schizophrenia, possible hospitalisation and increased risk for
her baby.

Mental health in the Pacific

VSA has volunteers working in the mental
health field across the Pacific, whether
working with patients as counsellors
or psychologists, or supporting local
organisations that help people suffering
from trauma due to violence, past conflict
or natural disasters.

Bougainville
Callan Disability Services
Nazareth Rehabilitation Programme

Cook Islands
Family Welfare Association

Kiribati
Kiribati Family Health Association
Kiribati School of Nursing
Te Meeria Mental Health

Papua New Guinea

Callan Disability Services
East New Britain Counselling
Services

"Anna Maria faces many obstacles over the coming years, but I
will be returning to New Zealand knowing that this family have
experienced good mental health service input, staff are motivated
and more skilled to continue this work and a child will come into
the world in better health than might have occurred previously."

Samoa

A significant part of Andrew's work has been initiating a review

of the Kiribati Mental Health Act. These acts need to be kept
up to date, Andrew says, This one has not been reviewed for 40
years. Mental health acts, Andrew says, shape not only clinical
practice, but philosophy and thinking around mental illness. If
they have a very strong focus on institutional care, which the old

Tonga

9 / MENTAL HEALTH VISTA

Loto Taumafai Society for People

with Disabilities
Samoa Victim Support Group

Women and Children Crisis Centre

Making a difference

Allanah Kidd, Climate Change

Programme Officer, UN Women Fiji MCO
Staff from UNDP Pacific Officeand I set up a community of
practice connecting government staff in Vanuatu, Solomon
Islands, Tonga and Fiji, who all work on gender and
protection issues related to climate change and disasters. At
the second meeting in April 2016, I was blown away by the
commitment, openness, camaraderie and engagement shown
by the attendees. In the feedback session one member
wrote In terms of remote support, even though I am in the
Solomon Islands [and you are in Fiji], you are sitting next to
me while another wrote This network expands our views
beyond what we know.

I can see the participants grow from learning

that they are not alone
Members get the opportunity to give protection and
gender issues in the Pacific a stronger voice. I can see the
participants grow from learning that they are not alone:
across the Pacific, others in similar government roles face the
same challenges.
I think we at the UN learnt more from that meeting for
example, about the resilience, dedication and capability of
Pacific Islanders than the attendees.
VSA / UN women volunteers Allanah Kidd and Ellie Van Baaren in Fiji.

Pauline Dennehy, Family Planning

and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health
Specialist working with the Cook Islands
Family Welfare Association, based in
Rarotonga
Early in my assignment I was asked to deliver a
presentation to senior students on health and personal
safety, including safe sex, and to be honest I doubted that
they took in any of the information I was attempting to
share. I am used to presenting to New Zealand youth who
are, at times, overly interactive. They let you know what
they think and how you are doing. Here the students sat
quietly, did not interrupt, did not say anything despite my
encouraging them to speak up. At the end of my session
I duly gave out evaluation forms thinking well, that
was a waste of time. I doubted that they had listened,
understood or taken anything on board. But I was wrong.
The evaluations were genuine, thoughtful and showed they
not only listened, but were grateful for the information.
For example, I suggest that you should teach primary
schools so they will know the things that they have to be
aware about and the consequences; I like how you guys
have given us warnings for things I didnt know. Ive never
known what Chlamydia is.
Not every teaching moment comes with an evaluation
form. Sometimes we dont know if we are making a
difference. The important thing is to try.
VSA volunteer Pauline Dennehy (centre) with midwife Teina Windy (left) and Maru
Tangatapoto, nurse practitioner at Atiu hospital.

10 / MAKING A DIFFERENCE VISTA

VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton at the night market in Maliana, Timor-Leste.

Maliana nights
Volunteer Tennant Fenton revisits his previous assignment to find farmers, entrepreneurs
and a good cup of coffee all under one roof.
In the sleepy town of Maliana in western Timor-Leste, the
night of Friday the 23rd of October 2015 was not so quiet.
A stream of people spilled from the floodlit local gymnasium,
enjoying some of the best local products from around the
district. Free range Luwark Coffee grown in the forbidding
jungle heights of Lolotoe was sweetened with honey and
served to entice customers to buy the precious roast. Tempeh,
a product made from soybeans grown in the Bobonaro valley,

The Night Market is about more

than just having something to do
on a Friday night. VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton
was cooked up and fed to hungry stomachs. Rockmelons
grown by farmer groups from the river plains of Cailaco
were juiced into cups of yum to stave off the warm evening.
Peanuts and banana chips from the hill villages of Balibo were
welcomed into mouths all too ready for them. These and the
smells and tastes of other stalls run by local businesses and
restaurants gave a festive air to what would have been just
another Maliana night.
Malianas first night market was initiated by World Vision
(WV) Timor-Leste with strong support from the Municipal
Administration in Bobonaro, other local NGOs such as
Seeds Of Life and Organisasaun Haburas Moris. Leading
the WV organisation team was Nuno Tolentino, the Project
Coordinator for the NZAID funded Bobonaro Food Security
and Economic Development project. VSA UniVol Kahu
Bennet from Auckland was based in Dili and helped to throw
World Visions knowledge, experience and resources behind
the event. The project was also unfortunate enough to have
endured me as a VSA volunteer for the two years prior to the
11 / MALIANA NIGHTS VISTA

night market, and despite my making a return appearance

on the night, they managed to pull off a highly successful
evening. While Im now meddling with another organisation,
Josephina Farms, for another year working with rural farmers
in Timor-Leste, Kahu was with WV until March 2016 and
had plenty more time to take advantage of the treats and
delights that Bobonaro is producing.
The Night Market is about more than just having something
to do on a Friday night. It provides an avenue for local
products to reach more local people, giving an opportunity
for entrepreneurs to test new ideas and make a little money.
Stalls can demonstrate new ways of using local ingredients and
therefore increase demand as well as nutritional knowledge in
the area. The focus is on local participants, with only a small
handful of malae (foreigners), creating an informal, convivial
atmosphere of community and familiarity. Nuno and the
team have lots of ideas, including movie nights, cooking
competitions and live music, and hopefully others jump on

Markets like this one could be a key to

unlocking the entrepreneurial potential
of Bobonaro. VSA volunteer Tennant Fenton
the wagon and start their own stalls. As employment is a
serious issue in Timor-Leste, markets like this one could be a
key to unlocking the entrepreneurial potential of Bobonaro.
Its a small start, but local businesses incubated in the night
market could potentially outgrow Maliana. If the faces of
the sellers were anything to go by, then we should see some
more happy punters next time and more farmers wallets
being filled, slowly but surely. I for one, cant wait to see what
emerges next time or maybe Ill start my own stall?

Making a difference

Norah Riddick, Physio/OT & Administrative

Adviser at Callan Services for Persons with
Disabilities, based in Kavieng, Papua New Guinea
A boy I have been working with has athetoid cerebral palsy and,
although he has movement difficulties throughout his body. The most
obvious issue he has is controlling his head movement. He walks
around with his hand on his head to hold it steady. He had dropped
out of school because he couldnt manage the written work, as he
struggled to control his head when bending over a desk. We have
provided him with a slope board so his work is held up in front of
him and moved his desk so his head could lean against the wall.
I knew we were getting it right when his Callan teacher said when
they are doing group activities on the floor, he sneaks away and sits at
his desk to work, because he prefers it. This boy has normal intellect
and its lovely seeing him engaged and learning.
VSA volunteer Norah Riddick on a previous physiotherapist assignment in Arawa, Bougainville.

Celebrating Samoan women in politics

Samoa held a general election this year in March, electing its first woman Deputy Prime Minister and
three other women MPs. UN Women/VSA volunteer Ellie Van Baaren delivered media training
to journalists and candidates in the months ahead of the election.
This was the first election in Samoa since a constitutional
amendment reserved 10% of seats for women (five seats of the
49). If fewer than five women were elected outright, the rest
would be filled by the quota.
Our goals were to support the media in profiling female
candidates, and, in doing so, support wider, more inclusive
definitions of what leadership looks like. In Samoa, there is
still a very masculine view of public leadership roles. Only
10% of Matai (chiefly) titles have been bestowed on women,
and candidates have to have a Matai title.
As part of the training we pointed out that gender equality
wasnt about making women and men the same, but rather
about ensuring everyone has equal access to opportunities
and resources; something that turned out to be a lightbulb
moment for many of them.
VSA volunteer Thoraya Abdul-Rassol (right) is pictured with Samoas Deputy PM
Fiame Naomi Mataafa on International Womens Day 2016 in Samoa.

In March 2015, UN Women and UNDP in partnership with

the Samoan Government launched a programme to increase
womens participation in politics. The Pacific has the worst
rates of female participation in government in the world
just 5.5% of parliamentary seats are held by women in the
region (not including New Zealand, Australia and the French
territories).
As well as talking to professional media, we also targeted
journalism students, many of whom would be filling senior
positions in the local media once they graduated at the end
of the year, five months before the election. We ran a fourday training course with them, partnering with the National
University of Samoa Media and Journalism School, and we
also did training for NGOs around using social media for
advocacy.
12 / SAMOAN WOMEN IN POLITICS VISTA

The Samoan media produced some great examples of gendersensitive coverage. To recognise this and encourage further
such reporting, we held media awards, awarding seven
journalists and media outlets for their efforts.
Overall, the number of female candidates standing for election
tripled when compared to 2011, and four women were elected
as MPs, double the results of the last election. A fifth was
added through the quota, the first of its kind in the Pacific. It
was a source of interest to Pacific countries that continue to
have low numbers of women elected to parliament.
Education and training are important building blocks
but they cant work miracles on their own. The attitudes,
stereotypes and norms that work against women being elected
to leadership roles have been developing for generation, and
it will take a lot of time and collective efforts to break them
down. Every step towards gender equality is significant and
we need to make sure we highlight the successes as well as the
continuing gaps there is still so much to do.

Are you the inspiring Kiwi were looking

for to stand for VSAs Council?
We want Council Members from all backgrounds with the energy and drive to make a
difference change makers to build on the achievements of this amazing organisation. Does
this sound like you or someone you know? If so visit www.vsa.org.nz/vsa-council-election
to find out who can stand and how to throw your hat in the ring.
VSA volunteer Julia Sherriff, Timor-Leste. VSA volunteer Richard Clark, Papua New Guinea. VSA volunteer Olivia Benton-Guy, Bougainville. VSA volunteer Vasti
Venter, Bougainville. VSA volunteer Dianne Hambrook, Vanuatu. VSA volunteer Peter Ward, Kiribati. VSA volunteer Kate Kan-Shaw, Samoa. VSA volunteer John
Marsh, Samoa. VSA volunteer Emily Gordon, Solomon Islands.

After the cyclone

After Cyclone Pam, came the drought. An intense 2015-2016
El Nio season has left some 4.3 million people across the
Pacific affected in some way - the lack of water means not
enough to drink, and nowhere near enough to sustain crops,
leaving people hungry and without the means to earn a living.
Growers in Vanuatu, where 90% of crops were destroyed by
Cyclone Pam, have not been able to recover.
Less than a year after Cyclone Pam, Cyclone Winston hit Fiji,
an almost unprecedented two category five cyclones in less
than a year for the region. Months on from both disasters,
many thousands of people are still without a home, enough
food or an income. VSA volunteers have been working with
their partner organisations on the recovery in both countries,
and telling the stories of people still living with the aftermath,
after the immediate attention fades.

We are facing a shortage of water so I dont

know if the children will go to school as they
will need water to wash and for food.
Hellan Kalo

14 / CYCLONE PAM VISTA

VSA volunteers and partners Fiona Morris and Murray Lloyd

both work with UN Women Murray as photographer
and Fiona as Markets for Change Communications Officer,
based in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Nearly a year after Cyclone Pam
struck Vanuatu, Fiona and Murray visited women from the
Silae Vanua Market Vendors Association on Efate, Moso and
Nguna Islands, who generously gave up their time and shared
their personal life stories.
These pictures were part of two exhibitions in May: at
the Asia-Pacific Conference on Gender and Disaster Risk
Reduction in Viet Nam, and the World Humanitarian
Summit in Istanbul.

Hellan Kalo, 53, lives high up on the side of an extinct volcano

on Nguna Island, Vanuatu. She is a leader in her community and
walks long distances to meetings, sometimes starting her journey
as early as 3am. Cyclone Pam and the El Nio drought have hit
her island community severely and Hellan works hard to make
sure everyone, especially widows, have the support they need. She
is pictured here in her new kitchen; the old one was destroyed
by Cyclone Pam. Farealapa Village, Nguna Island, Vanuatu, 27
January 2016. UN Women/Murray Lloyd

After Cyclone Pam there was no food. The

island food was destroyed. Now we just buy
rice. Then we planted manioc, small yam, taro,
island cabbage. But its not ready because
of El Nino. Im looking forward to the next
planting season but Im worried about the sun.
Roslyn Moli

15 / CYCLONE PAM VISTA

Jenny Tom (30), Roslyn Moli (30) and Julia Morris (29) live in
Tasariki village on Moso Island. All three are members of Silae
Vanua, the first market vendor association to be legally registered
in Vanuatu. In the past they headed to the market by boat and
road 1-2 times a month, staying in Port Vila for up to five days
at a time. Now, however, there is very little fresh produce on the
island to eat, let alone sell. A year ago Moso was among the islands
devastated by Cyclone Pam and is now suffering from the effects of
an El Nio drought. Tasariki Village, Moso Island, Vanuatu, 28
January 2016. Credit: UN Women/Murray Lloyd

Lunch on the ring of Fire

Rabaul is famous for its volcanoes but it also has something in common with Rotorua: hot springs.
Volunteer Kurt Schmidli knew cooking in hot springs was a traditional method for Mori living in
geothermal regions, but never dreamt he'd do the same thing on Easter Sunday in Papua New Guinea.
My wife Christine and I, along with Papua New Guinea
Programme Manager Johannes Gambo, took a bumpy ride to
Rabaul, stopped at a roadside stall and bought two gorgeous
rainbow runner fish. Johannes is mad about the fish here and
every chance he gets he buys fish. Next stop, the local market
where we found a big bag of kumara (kaukau) for a dollar,
lemons, ginger, spring onions, banana leaves, some island
cabbage, cucumber beans and bread and butter. Enough
food to feed a small army or a PNG village. What was he up
to? We headed towards the volcano, which erupted in 1994,
devastating Rabaul and the surrounding area.

Rabaul community preparing lunch.

We drove towards the beach on a road shifting with sand

and rough lava chips and arrived at the hot spring. We were
immediately surrounded by local people who quickly took
over the fish, gutting them on the sea shore, cutting them
up and packing them into banana leaf parcels before dipping
them into the sea for an extra hint of salt. Then the kumara
was cut up and put into a plastic bag full of salt water. And
the special wild fowl eggs twice the size of regular eggs and
dangerous to recover deep in tunnels burrowed into the sand.
They were all yolk and so rich and creamy, half was enough to
satisfy a normal human.
All this food was immersed in the steaming water bubbling
out of the sand. It was lovingly poked and prodded for
30 minutes and then hauled out with a forked stick and
unwrapped. In the meantime Johannes the chief cook had
taken the beans and cabbage down to the pool and blanched
them for a minute in the water. While they were still green
and crisp he smothered them with butter and we all tucked
into our lunch together.

Making a difference

Lunch steaming in the Rabaul hot springs.

We were very appreciative of not only the great meal, but

also the whole unique experience. It would have been easier
to go to the local hotel for lunch, but what a fascinating
introduction to local cuisine and village life this was.

Charles Inggs, Strategic Planning and Policy Adviser

with Infrastructure Cook Islands, based in Rarotonga
When I was recruited to Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI), the number
one priority in my job description was preparing a Ministry Long-Term (5
year) Strategic Plan. The project was parked when I first arrived, and when
it restarted a few months later, my first task was to convene a whole of
Ministry Retreat. This is something that had never been done and during
the preparations we discovered that the last strategic plan for our Ministry
was prepared in 2002. We closed the Ministry for one day, except for a
skeleton staff keeping the landfill open to process refuse collections. On
the day, we pushed all the desks to one side and converted the largest work
station area into a conference room. At the heart of the session were three
simple questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to be in 5 years
time? How do we get there? The response of the staff was unbelievable.
There was an almost 100% turnout. Every participant was fully engaged in
the discussions and everyone I spoke to was positively thrilled to have been
asked their opinion, as even the longest serving members had never had that
opportunity across the whole Ministry. It really was an uplifting moment.
VSA volunteer Charles Inggs taking a break in Cook Islands.

VSA volunteer Daphne Smithers with books donated from New Zealand.

The Honiara library with new chairs and hard working students.

A thriving Honiara Library

Volunteer Daphne Smithers and the local team give Honiara Public Library an overhaul.
Daphne Smithers trip to the doctor for a jellyfish sting
took far longer than expected. When the GP learnt she
was volunteering as a library adviser for the Honiara City
Council, he insisted on telling her the story of how a library
had changed the course of his life, when a borrowed book on
human anatomy caught his eye as a boy. That was when, he
told Daphne, he decided to become a doctor.
In a country where around 40% of the adult population is
non-literate and up to 20% of primary school-aged children
are not enrolled, access to books is vital. But when Daphne
arrived in November 2015, there was no facility to take books
out of Honiara Public Library. Within her first month, she set
up an old-fashioned book ledger for issues and returns, so that
people could borrow books. In January, the Library issued 38
books. In April, more than 588 were checked out.

says you dont see parents bringing their children in like you
do in New Zealand, and Id love to see more young children
using the Library and reading. The cute child-sized tables
and chairs for the childrens section of the library were also
purchased through HEDSUP and made locally. Libraries are
such a valuable part of public life, Daphne says and with
visitor numbers continuing to increase, those little tables could
be hosting more future doctors.

The Librarys refurbishment is part of The New Zealand High

Commission and Honiara City Councils Honiara Economic
Development Support Programme (HEDSUP), which was
developed in 2011. The Programme paid for landscaping and
outdoor tables for the Library in 2014, indoor furniture and
the purchase of a number of new non-fiction books which
were seriously lacking previously.
Daphne says many of the books have also been donated by
Kiwis, and a connection at Massey University is providing
an Electronic Library Management system to digitise the
catalogue and borrowing system. Cables have been laid for
internet access, and six computers will soon be installed
for public use. It makes me proud to be part of what New
Zealand has contributed to the library, Daphne says.
Alongside that funding, the library team have devoted hours
to improving the Librarys appearance, cleaning, sorting and
culling out-of-date or duplicate books, with plans to send
them out to more isolated villages. Previously, the Library
was closed on Wednesdays and weekends, but it is now open
all weekdays. She is intending to trial opening one evening
per week and at the weekend, so families can bring in their
young children outside work hours. Right now, the library is
mostly used by tertiary and secondary students, and Daphne
17 / LITERACY IN SOLOMON ISLANDS VISTA

The individually covered outdoor tables are very popular with the students.

Daphne and the team commissioned beautiful furniture throughout the library.

Keeping volunteering in the whnau

VSAConnect coordinator Pat Martin meets a family with the volunteering bug.
As it happened, Roger and Judy were thinking about a stint
overseas and Roger says Rachel was a huge influence on their
decision to apply for an assignment. In 2010, Judy accepted
a teaching assignment in Mdumbi, 300km north along the
coast from where Rachel had worked, and a role was soon
stitched together for Roger. I remember very excitedly going
over a map with Dad and pointing out places he had to visit,
Rachel recalls.

VSA volunteer Judy Hogg with pre-school teachers and pupils in Mdumbi, South Africa.

During Roger and Judys assignment, Roger ran computers

at a backpackers hostel, supported an orphans project and
worked with an HIV/Aids team. It was a tough 18 months
living in a mud hut with a thatched roof along terrible roads,
120 km from the nearest hospital. South Africas highs and
lows included a mugging, a robbery, and stunning views of
whales out in the bay from where they lived.
The friendship of former VSAConnect coordinator, John
Bowis, and his wife Alison, then on assignment in Eastern
Cape, was a big support. Roger and Judy passed Nelson
Mandelas birthplace when travelling south to visit them.
VSA were always confident Roger and Judy could handle
South Africas challenges. The couple had lived in Tanzania
all of 2004 while Roger taught in a Theological College. A
former Ministry of Works engineer, he spent 20 years as a
theology teacher.

VSA UniVol Rachel Hogg with SPW peer educators Mampondo and Liberty in Jongilanga
community, South Africa.

When volunteering runs in a family, its usually parents

stories from a generation ago that inspire their children. Just
occasionally, children stir their parents to discover what its all
about. And sometimes, like the Hogg family from Dunedin,
all are bound by a lifetime of adventures.

Making a difference

Rachel Hogg, as a UniVol in 2008 in East London, South

Africa, often emailed her parents, Roger and Judy. On
returning, she enthused about her 10-month assignment.
I made them watch a slideshow of photos and strongly
recommended VSA.

In fact, the entire family understood the rigours of travel. In

1990, Roger and Judy bundled up the four children, including
eight-year-old Rachel, and travelled through South East Asia,
South Asia and the Middle East to reach London. From there,
in a newly purchased VW campervan, the family toured
Western Europe for six weeks. Twenty countries were visited
that year.
Today the entire family enjoys videos of that global jaunt, and
Roger still swaps stories of South Africa with Rachel. He says
that volunteering and helping others is part of the familys
ethic and flows naturally out of their church work.
Rachel says that being encouraged to be independent had a
big influence on her decision to volunteer. On reaching age
18, Roger and Judy loaned each of their children the price
of an aeroplane ticket overseas. It was a subtle message to
get going.

Lesley Young, Crisis Centre Adviser at the

Women and Children Crisis Centre based
in Nukualofa, Tonga
I noticed Takau, the policewoman who works at the Women
and Childrens Crisis Centre, being gentle and caring with a
young client who had been identified as difficult by a number
of other services. Takau was walking with her arm around the
girl and speaking quietly. I told Takau that I could see she was
being very supportive. She smiled at me and said I learnt it
from you. You taught us that children who have been abused
are not being naughty, they behave that way because of the
trauma of the abuse.
VSA volunteer Lesley Young (right) with Takau.

A strong Pacific
VSA works to make Pacific
communities stronger in
the face of disasters.
Right now
VSA volunteers are working on projects that
are vital to ensuring a community can come
through a disaster, recover, and build back
better. Theyre building clean, safe water
supplies in remote communities; building
strong schools so education isnt disrupted;
improving IT and communications so people
arent cut off; and ensuring people have a
chance to live more than hand-to-mouth, so
they have security.
And when disaster comes, VSA volunteers
living in those affected countries are able to
help with recovery straight away, working
with their communities to make sure
everyone gets the help they need.

Varanisese Maisamoa outside her house after Cyclone

Winston. Rakiraki, Fiji. UN Women/Murray Lloyd.

In the countries where VSA works:

Up to 85% of the population rely
on agriculture for their income,
making them vulnerable to crop

Of the 10 countries in the world

most vulnerable to disaster, four
vulnerable.

For every dollar spent today in

disaster preparedness, seven
are saved in disaster recovery.

Women and children are disproportionately

affected by natural disasters. They are more
likely to be displaced and suffer from poor
health afterwards, and less able to make
the income needed to recover.
Sources: UN Women, World Risk Index, UNDP

Donate
today
19 / DONATE VISTA

Your support of VSA volunteers allows them

to work with people throughout the wider
Pacific to prepare for natural disasters.
Pacific people are resilient. When they have
the right support and resources, natural
disasters will not wipe out their progress.

Use the donation form attached to this

page. Just fill it out and post it to us, or
donate through our website.
Thank you

www.vsa.org.nz

Inspiring
Change

Become a volunteer
VSA has over 100 volunteer vacancies available each year
for New Zealanders to share their skills and knowledge with
communities and organisations already striving for change.
Our volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds,
from business mentors and lawyers to teachers, IT
specialists, engineers and eco-tourism operators.

Support VSA

Find out more

Make a donation. Its a gift

that will keep on giving
because the programmes
that VSA volunteers help
put in place will continue to
have a profound impact after
they leave.

Our volunteers all have

stories to tell. When you visit
www.vsa.org.nz to see our
vacancies or to donate, read
about the work theyre doing
every day to create a better
future for all of us.

20
/ MALIANA NIGHTS VISTA
www.vsa.org.nz

VSA covers flights,

accommodation,
insurance & some
expenses. A living
allowance is also
provided.

VSA Online:

www.vsa.org.nz
Call:

0800 872 8646