Project coordination committee members for the NZAID - Vanuatu education assistance project meet in Port Vila, 9 February 2004

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Vanuatu

2008/2009 Allocation | $17 million

Snapshot

Vanuatu comprises four main islands and 80 smaller islands. More than 80 different indigenous languages are spoken - a factor underlying the complex social and political fabric of the country. The three official languages are Bislama, English and French.

Vanuatu's population of approximately 200,000 is growing rapidly. Around 80% of the population live in rural areas and depend on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. Approximately 40% of the population experiences poverty or hardship.

Lack of access to education opportunities and unemployment are increasingly serious issues for young people. Urban drift is becoming a problem as people look for better opportunities in the towns. In recent years the population has grown faster than the economy, and services such as education and health have fallen behind.

NZAID priorities

NZAID and the Vanuatu Government have identified the following as priority areas in the Vanuatu Country Strategy 2006-2010:

Education
Governance
Economic development

NZAID on the ground

Education

NZAID works with Vanuatu to improve the quality of teaching and learning in primary and junior secondary education. NZAID has committed up to $4 million over three years to a project that supports and develops key personnel in the education sector, curricula, educational materials and examinations, and English language materials and training.

A successful "book flood" initiative began in 2005 in which 40 English-speaking primary schools in Vanuatu were "flooded" with books to improve students' English. With an average of 140 pupils per school in the target grade three and four levels, 5,600 students benefited from the project in the first year. The programme is being expanded to other schools in 2006.

NZAID also works with Vanuatu in the provision of tertiary scholarships across the region and in New Zealand.

A major new initiative under discussion is the establishment of a Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) in Education. The aim is for all donors to align with a single national education plan and channel resources through government mechanisms rather than running separate projects. The Education SWAp would enable improved resource planning, and donor funds would be reflected in national budget allocations and auditing processes.

Governance

A growing population and low economic growth have proved major challenges to stability, making good governance a priority in Vanuatu. A major focus has been on enhancing law and order through assistance to the new Vanuatu Corrections Service, which has operational responsibility for prisons and the establishment of a new probation service.

In 2006, NZAID is funding five in-country advisers from the New Zealand Department of Corrections to work alongside staff of the newly formed department as part of an institutional strengthening programme. Support is also provided to the Judiciary through the provision of a New Zealand Judge who sits on the Vanuatu Supreme Court.

NZAID also works with local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as Wan Smol Bag who work with chiefs, rural communities, youth, women's organisations, teachers and the police to raise awareness of the workings of government and people's rights.

With NZAID support, the Sanma Counselling Centre is playing an effective role in addressing domestic violence against women and families in the three northern provinces of Vanuatu.

Economic development

NZAID supports the Vanuatu Government's view that the growth of the productive sector is an important factor in Vanuatu's development. An initial study was conducted in 2005 to provide NZAID with an overview of the productive sectors which are shared with the Vanuatu Government and other donors.

As a result, a number of projects, including the development of an NZAID strategy for supporting economic development in Vanuatu is being undertaken in 2006. Interim activities have been supported including an agricultural census, the reprinting of agricultural extension material, and training for meat inspectors.

Significant support has also been provided for the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) as a means of ensuring additional assistance reaches the provinces.