Hope Dignity Strength Health Education Freedom Empowerment Liberty Safety
Every Girl . Everywhere . Period
Taking 'Days for Girls' to Tanna Island, Vanuatu
~ Pam Viti ~
Travelling with Bridging Health (home base Rockhampton,
Queensland) to Tanna Island Vanuatu is an experience and adventure that any
volunteer will cherish for a lifetime. The Health Clinics to rural and remote
villages are received so gratefully by the Ni-van people who never ceased to
say 'thank you' to the President of Bridging Health wherever we went.
I requested 100 Days for Girls kits to be donated to
Bridging Health, however due to the organisations shipping container being rescheduled
for the Sept/Oct program, only half the kits were able to be taken as excess
luggage of the May/June trip.
On Monday, 3rd June 2019, the 'Days for
Girls' workshop was presented at the Ennian Vui High School at Hebron Village
where 130 students attend class. Fifty of the students were young women 13-16
years of age.
To arrive at the village, we travelled to Blue Cave Guest House
to be nearer the village and could make and early start next morning. The
rugged terrain meant winding steep roads up through mountainous tropical bush
and rocky gullies that the Land Cruiser crept through ever so cautiously.
As an example of the manmade bush roads; we travelled 23km
in one and a half hours and at one stage we all got out the truck and walked up
the steep winding track around the side of a mountain, that plunged down a
cliff face too dense with jungle to guess the depth. We left our
Bridging Health President, Ricco to handle the challenge without us. Scary
stuff, but the local drivers are also skilled and used to the rugged terrain.
My daughter Paula and I had previously completed the on-line
'Days for Girls' certificate, and along with our cousin Joanne (assistant &
photographer) we facilitated the program.
The female teachers, students, mothers and bubu's (aunties
& grandmothers) all congregated in and outside the new classroom (built
since cyclone Pam devastated the island in 2015 ) and other members of the
Bridging Health Team played touch football with the male students.
I had acquired a 'Days for Girls' flip chart (on-line) and
through previous experience understood that visuals of the subject matter was a
plus to practical learning. The importance of understanding the way in which
your body functions, was a new learning for most of the women and the intense
concentration on their faces was a blessing to behold. The demonstration of the
use of the kits was well received and the nodding of heads and smiles of
acknowledgement (saying 'we get it') was so worth the road trip to get there.
Other topics included in the workshop were personal hygiene
and regular hand washing, staying safe and safe choices. The participants were
encouraged to keep up the conversations between themselves and to ask questions
if in doubt, as each person’s situation is often different to their own and we
all needed to share and care for each other.
Thank you 'Days for Girls' (Dianne Catto), Mackay 'Days for
Girls' Team, Walkerston Rotary (Bente McDonald) and Bridging Health (Ricco
& Michelle Yasso) for the privilege of taking 'Days for Girls' for the
first time to Tanna Island, Vanuatu.
Much love and blessings
Hope Dignity Strength Health Education Freedom Empowerment Liberty Safety
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