Welkam to Vanuatu

Arrived successfully via a brief stopover in Brisbane (and an opportunity to catch up briefly with the whanau), here we are back in Santo acclimatising and being educated for island life ahead.

The focus of the NZ Aid Programme in Vanuatu is currently on economic development to improve rural livelihoods, support to the education sector, assisting in improving law and order and to help promote good governance.  VSA has an extensive programme running in Vanuatu to assist in this work with around 14 VSA volunteers currently based in Luganville in Santo as well as a similar number out of Port Villa in Efate. 

Location of Santo relative to northern Vanuatu

Over these next two weeks based in Luganville , various logistics including safety planning, bank access, sim cards and most importantly bislama and kalja (culture) lessons will be on the agenda after which time we head for Malekula and Ambae Islands respectively as our bases over the coming months.

Downtown Luganville

They even arranged an earthquake for us the other night as part of our induction to get us used to the occasional 'shake rattle and roll' over our stay.......