Introduction

In 2020, Vanuatu became one of just six countries to graduate from a ‘Least Developed Country’ since the classification was created by the United Nations over 65 years ago. However 10% of the population still live in poverty, subsisting on less than AU$2.10 per day.

Vanuatu is deservedly proud of the structural, social and economic progress achieved over this time, however the country remains under constant threat from economic and environmental disasters. As an island nation, climate change means that Vanuatu is facing increasing extreme weather events, and deals with an average of 2-3 natural disasters a year, meaning it is consistently ranked as the most disaster prone nation on earth. The economic pressure from such disasters, compounded by external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, mean that Vanuatu’s fragile economic stability is in constant threat of being reversed.

As over 20% of Vanuatu’s GDP comes from international aid, continued support from development partners, such as the MJF, is paramount to ensure Vanuatu’s prosperity, and to build national resilience to economic shocks.

The MJF, working with its partners, will support the Vanuatu Government in pursuing its national strategic priorities to build a stable, sustainable and prosperous Vanuatu.

Access to quality health and education is a basic human right and is the reason we do what we do.

Health Need

While there has been significant improvements in recent years, life expectancy in Vanuatu is still 13 years less than the typical Australian enjoys. Children in Vanuatu are also 5 times more likely to die before they reach 5 years old. Vanuatu faces a triple burden from rising rates of non-communicable diseases, climate change threats, and many preventable diseases affecting children and mothers.

The healthcare staff in Vanuatu do incredible work to try and address these needs, however they are required to do so with less than 2% of the funding per person than in Australia, and with significant skills shortages. This results in an under-resourced health service, which often lacks the training and critical equipment it needs to provide life-saving treatment.

Our goals are aligned with those of the Vanuatu Government’s National Sustainable Development Plan, Society Goal 3, in aiming for a ‘healthy population that enjoys a high quality of physical, mental and spiritual and social well-being’. The Vanuatu Ministry of Health has identified maternal child health and health workforce strengthening, including professional development, education and training as priority areas for support.

Education Need

Due to the country’s many remote and isolated populations, education is not compulsory in Vanuatu. Schooling consists of Early Childhood (Ages 4 & 5) and Primary from Year 1 – 6. A further four years (Years 7-10) of junior secondary and three years (Years 11-13) of senior secondary is available to students but only half of children in Vanuatu enrol in secondary education. Formal education is not available at all in some remote villages of Vanuatu, and most children conclude their education at the end of primary school, entering the workforce with very limited literacy and numeracy skills.

Although basic literacy and numeracy skills are improving in Vanuatu, and over 80% of children enrol in primary school, education remains relatively costly, is regularly impacted by natural disasters, and school classrooms are often overcrowded and under-resourced, presenting significant challenges for classroom teachers.

While more girls than boys enrol in secondary education, and more young women receive scholarships for university, young men are more likely to graduate their tertiary studies. Barriers for young women to complete secondary and tertiary education include financial pressure as well as family and cultural obligations.

Improved literacy has an exponential effect on a society and gives students better access to the labour market as well as increased self-esteem and confidence. Improved numeracy gives the best possible chance for young adults to seek higher education and enables greater career opportunities into the future.

Our goals are aligned with those of the Vanuatu Government’s National Sustainable Development Plan, Society Goal 2, in aiming for “an inclusive, equitable and quality education system with life-long learning for all.”