Storian blong Gudfala Laef

A large majority of people in Vanuatu report having others they can count on in times of health or financial need. The number has dropped, however, by roughly 10% over the 10-year period from 2010-2020, signaling a loss in traditional social security and weakening kinship networks. Despite the trend, a majority of people still enjoy that safety net in Vanuatu today as evidenced in this episode. Ep...

Demand for cultural wealth items like pigs, yams, mats, and kava for traditional ceremonial uses - from marriages to circumcisions and more - is high in both urban and rural parts of Vanuatu. Those in rural areas overwhelmingly produce their own wealth with planning and hard work using skills passed down for generations, while those in urban centres depend more on money to puchase these items in o...

It is estimated that roughly 24,000 ni-Vanuatu men, women, and children live in housing located on land that is neither indigenous nor formally leased. Many of those in informal settlements are able to lead happy lives. Some live rent free on land through relationships built on trust and respect, while others live knowingly on land they have no right to occupy. And some enter an informal lease arr...

A majority of households in Vanuatu possess basic traditional production skills that serve to transform the natural assets they have access to - indigenous lands, forest and marine resources - into food, shelter, medicine, and more. The presence of these skills, moreso in rural areas, represents their continued usefulness as well as a cost savings and level of preparedness, and they help explain r...

All people have the right to feel safe in their community, and in most places in Vanuatu a majority of the people do. However, in some places, particularly in Luganville and in Malampa Province, more than half of the population do not feel safe walking in their community or neighborhood after dark. The wellbeing of women in particular is burdened by feeling unsafe, helping to explain consistently...

Education is linked with wellbeing in some obvious ways, with better health and income outcomes resulting from attaining higher levels. More than ten thousand adults in Vanuatu over the age of 25, however, have never attended school. Many of them are able to live a good life, with plenty of food to eat, a good house to live in, and a community and large family that can support them. This episode l...

Participation in ceremonial activities is considered to be important to a vast majority of ni-Vanuatu today, and the data shows participation is constant in both rural and urban areas. In this episode, we look at direct participation by the storyteller who has participated in rank or grade taking ceremonies, and the reasons why participation was important to him and his family. We also discuss ind...

The number of young people graduating from secondary schools and going on to post-secondary opportunities at Universities both at home and abroad has been rising steadily in Vanuatu with improvements to the formal education sector and increased scholarship opportunities. This means that more and more young people are not spending as much time on their ancestral lands, speaking their ancestral lang...

Most rural villages in Vanuatu - where 75% of the population resides - have regular community meetings to discuss issues of importance to all members. The rules of "kastom" dictate how meetings are called and conducted, including who is allowed to speak and who controls the agenda. Today, more and more people are not attending meetings as they once did. This indicates a loss of respect f...

Vanuatu is home to over 100 indigenous languages, each one holding the rich histories and stories of the many culture groups that call this place home. Traditional knowledge, measured in the 2020 NSDP Baseline Survey through knowledge of traditional songs, dances, games, and stories, is showing signs of decline. This is related to the decline in use of indigenous languages which carry knowledge fo...

Traditional leaders carry cultural norms forward through their duty of practice, acting as the keepers of kastom. But their performance does not go without scrutiny by the villagers that depend on their leadership. Statistics are reported on perceived performance of Chiefs in their roles as peace keepers, representatives of the community, vessels of traditional knowledge, and managers of community...

Chiefs have tremendous influence in communities across Vanuatu as traditional leaders that have earned their leadership status through traditional payment systems or through birthright and family status. As the authorities of traditional governance, Chiefs play critical roles in peace keeping, ceremonial activities, and resource management, among other duties. This episode features a Chief from th...

Fish, invertebrates, shellfish, and crab have been important sources of protein and a dietary staple for most people in Vanuatu for as long as there have been people living on these islands. Traditional fishing practices, such as trapping and using a spear, enabled fishermen to obtain what they needed to feed their families. Taboos and other traditional means of conservation protected the crabs an...

Vanuatu is both the country most exposed and most at risk to natural disasters according to the UN World Risk Index, and it has held those titles since the publication of the World Risk Report in 2012. The natural environment and people of Vanuatu are constantly prepared for or in a state of recovery, particularly as the frequency and severity of natural disasters has increased in response to clim...

Kava has tremendous cultural significance in Vanuatu and has since become a major export and source of income for many farmers. Nearly half (47%) of all men ages 15 and older are active kava drinkers, and more and more women are starting to drink kava. This episode of "Storian blong Gudfala Laef" features a storyteller that actively drinks kava. He discusses how he was introduced to kava...

Traditional healing, through herbal or leaf medicines and massage treatments, is considered safe and effective by most people in Vanuatu. For many with simple ailments, they are able to get treatment without having to leave their community. They don't require an ID to receive treatment - in fact, in most cases they are familiar with the person behind the medicine and are able to feel comfortab...

Smoking is a public health issue predominantly driven by young men in Vanuatu. More than 1 in 3 males smoke cigarettes or tobacco regularly. Smoking is highly addictive regardless of educational attainment or location and can lead to severe consequences, from cancers to heart problems and more. Smoking shares a relationship with kava consumption, however, the data suggests young males are smoking...

Those born with a disability and those having developed a disability at some point in their life experience life differently than those without a disability. From education to public transportation, the challenges facing families of people with disability are greater in size and number, and these challenges prevent some people from living a good life. Episode 10 features a storyteller that has exp...

A large majority of ni-Vanuatu are food secure, and a large majority of ni-Vanuatu households feel their families have enough or more than enough access to healthy local foods. Beyond food security a majority of ni-Vanuatu enjoy food sovereignty, able to control food production systems and actively engaged in agricultural production. Much of this benefit is through the continuity of recognized ind...

Many adults in Vanuatu recall a time when every small store sold kerosene used to fuel lanterns. Families gathered around the lanterns to eat, talk, and even read at night. Solar energy has overtaken and almost eradicated kerosene as the most common form of energy used by households in Vanuatu. This transformation came at cost to the consumer, with successful programmes supported by the government...

Vanuatu is now supplying more labor via seasonal worker programs in Australia and New Zealand than any other Pacific Island country, and has grown a dependence on these regional labor programs. Ni-Vanuatu are attracted to the income potential as well as an opportunity to experience something different and new. For many, the labor programs are their best or only opportunity for decent pay. Thousand...

Do you know youth that are willing yet unable to find work? This episode delves into youth unemployment in Vanuatu with a storyteller that shows unemployment as a phenomenon for those that have completed formal education, as well those that may have left the system at earlier ages. Data on youth unemployment in this episode is taken from the period prior to Covid-19 lockdowns and the associated im...

In honor of the Provincial School Games underway in Port Vila this week, this episode features a young woman from the island of Pentecost tell her story of how her family supported her pursuits in sport to where she is now, studying on a full scholarship and representing the nation at international competitions while continuing to train in the sport that brings her joy.

In this episode, the storyteller describes traditional housing and the advantages it has over housing that uses foreign materials such as concrete and corrugated iron. The perception that traditional housing is somehow inferior to other housing is incorrect. Traditional housing is sustainable, clean, and safe. Moreover, it's affordable for those with free access to land and natural resources....

In this episode we hear the traditional marriage story of a young man and young woman in modern Port Vila. Both storytellers are from SHEFA Province. Cultural rituals require Traditional Wealth Items that hold value in ritual exchange. These items include pigs, mats, yams, kava, and other items as determined by the rules of a particular group. The young couple were supported by their extended fami...