Update: This campaign has now closed. Read more about the project that it helped fund.

“Every child has the right to learn.” Education | UNICEF

Vanuatu is the most disaster-prone nation on earth. In March of this year two cyclones and two earthquakes struck Vanuatu in as many days, wreaking havoc across the archipelago, particularly on the main island of Efate and the Shefa province near Port Vila. Cyclones, earthquakes and volcanoes are part of life in Vanuatu but they do have a negative effect on families, programs, government, health and education.

According to Global Partnership for Education one way to mitigate the impact of natural disasters is to build a resilient education system. The Vanuatu Education and Training Sector Strategy (VETSS) 2020-2030 states:

“Education and training is the key to a better and innovative future, protection of our culture and identity, and the development of each and every individual, community, society and the nation as a whole. Through education we are able to build the capacity of every Ni-Vanuatu to take responsibility for themselves, and where each individual has the opportunity to succeed, exercise their rights and contribute to the overall development of Vanuatu”

Due to remote and isolated populations, education is not compulsory in Vanuatu. Access to education and enrolment is slowly increasing due to an effective education grant scheme, however poor retention, delayed enrolment, natural disasters and language barriers are all detrimental to the ongoing effectiveness of education in Vanuatu.

Schooling in Vanuatu consists of 2 years of early childhood education, six years of primary schooling, four years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary, however, most students conclude their education at the end of primary school or in early secondary and enter the workforce with very limited literacy and numeracy skills. Education is not available at all in some remote villages of Vanuatu.

Educational infrastructure remains a significant inequity in Vanuatu schools. Many students, particularly in primary schools, have limited access to textbooks, teachers and quality physical facilities (VETTSS 202-2030 p24-27).

In partnership with the United States’ PeaceCorps agency and the Vanuatu Ministry of Education & Training, the MJF is funding the replacement of cyclone damaged and destroyed learning resources across Shefa Province, minimising time lost to natural disasters and improving access to effective learning. The MJF is committed to listening to the needs of local schools and teachers to ensure that the resources supplied will be consistent with the educational programs already taking place in Vanuatu classrooms.

Your support of the Melanie Jewson Foundation’s Learning For Life! EOFY campaign will enable students attending school in cyclone-damaged communities the opportunity to continue their education with high-quality learning resources, chosen and provided just for them.