2025 News

From Learning to Action: Reshaping Ranwas, Vanuatu

Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Esline Toamavute and Pastor Samual Garae travelled to South Pentecost in November 2024 to facilitate the Promoting Dignity, Inclusion, and Protection training.

This training was the second of two workshops held in Central Pentecost. 

The first workshop reflected on what being Made in God’s Image means for equality for women, inclusion for people with disability and protection for children. At the second workshop, Ranwas participants shared their stories of implementing what they learned. 

After Ranwas church leaders attended the first workshop, they were empowered and immediately conducted their own local training with other community members!

It was observed that not many men attended on the first night of the training. But “after their children and spouses commented positively on the content, the church was packed the following evening.” 

One emotional moment involved a group activity called “The Floating Coconut.”

This exercise helps men and women grasp the concept of what is visible on the surface and what remains hidden beneath, specifically emphasising the distinction between paid and unpaid work. 

It allows individuals to recognise that women often perform household chores without pay (much like how most of the coconut is below the water's surface), and frequently, this work goes unrecognised by their husband and family members.

The Floating Coconut ended in reconciliation with “everyone saying sorry,” Esline explained.  

Since the first training, the participants from Ranwas have also integrated their learning within the community to protect the most vulnerable. “The training has had a very big impact on Ranwas church, a turning point, to include everyone and respect all,” Esline reported.

The congregation has assisted six older people, six widows and widowers, two pregnant mothers who have given birth, four people with a disability and the children at Ranwas school. 

The church members in Wali raised funds to provide a water tank and ramp to make the church building more accessible. Ranwas built two new houses for two of the six widows and included children by assisting with water and sanitation projects at the local school. 

Cyclone Harold destroyed the Ranwas community First Aid Post in 2020. Last year, the church built a new structure out of more substantial materials. This small house will provide a permanent location for the community to access essential healthcare assistance. 

Even the focus from the first workshop on being made in God’s image has challenged people to rethink their relationships. Wali, another village that sent participants to the workshop, reported seven weddings in December!

The Promoting Dignity, Inclusion and Protection training has facilitated transformative results in South Pentecost. Thanks to your support of the project, the community, specifically in Ranwas, is intentionally fostering a culture of support, inclusion, and community responsibility.

So far, two workshops have been conducted in Santo, Port Vila, East Ambae, West Ambae, Central Pentecost and South Pentecost (including Wali and Ranwas).

The training will be completed in Vanuatu in March 2025. The final workshop will be held in Maewo, a tiny island 150km east of Santo, Vanuatu. 

Thanks to your continued support of this project, we now plan to implement the training in Papua New Guinea.

Relief & Development Health


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