Volunteering in Vanuatu – 2010

Tessa Fowler, from Melbourne, Derbyshire, plans to volunteer in Vanuatu for six months. Vanuatu is a breathtaking collection of islands in the South Pacific, made up of primitive rural villages and dramatic landscapes. Most of the islands have a narrow coastal plain and mountainous interiors, some with tropical forests, jungle waterfalls and even active volcanoes. The 18 year-old will be volunteering as the main teacher in a primary school in the small coastal town of Ndui Ndui on Ambae island. The school is under-resourced and class sizes are small - without the help of volunteers and charities many Vanuatu children wouldn’t have an education at all. Ninety per cent of Ni-Van children attend primary school, however due to limited places and cost many do not continue.

Tessa said “Whilst in Vanuatu I will be living in basic conditions - without electricity and possibly without water too! . . . The country sounds really fascinating and as well as going with the idea of helping people to a better education I also hope to learn about a completely new and what appears to be slightly crazy culture! The Vanuatu people participate in wild dances, and take pleasure in doing land dives . . . This is of particular interest to me as I plan to take anthropology at university the following year".

The £250 funding provided by the JWCT will add to funds Tessa has raised from a sponsored marathon, cake sales at her school and three part-time jobs.

She added "the grant given to me by The Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust will help me enormously – it will pay for my return air ticket on a small plane from Port Villa to Ambae Island. It will also contribute to the money that I will spend on food whilst living on the island. A massive thank you to the Trust!"

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