Traditional Medicine Only Option for Remote Island Children

Basic supplies for a healthy life are lacking in the far northern islands of the Vanuatu archipelago, deep in the blue of the South Pacific.

The herbal remedies from their plentiful surrounds have sustained these people for many centuries. The healing faith of the community medicine man has supported the community. Whilst the power of black magic has been blamed for many illnesses.

On Motolava Island a “trained” medical assistant has arrived at last. A doctor, provided via a charitable organization, has replaced him on a nearby island.

The empty shelves of the shack that acts as the local clinic is the first thing that strikes him as he steps through the doorway. There are no dressings, no bandages, no disinfectant, no ointments – just a few headache tablets.

The village children play, smiling and laughing together. An open wound, incurred on a stake in the bush, festers on the leg of an 8 year old boy. A girl, one among many no older than 6, suffers from scabies. A 10 year old walks with a limp across the bare earth – a walk that he has had since birth. Racking coughs emanate from babies being cuddled and cajoled by anxious mothers. Where does he start to make a difference?

His initial tour of the village finds him peering into the huts built directly on the hard-packed soil. He sees a child curled on hand-woven mats whimpering with the fever of malaria. The recent accentuated ’wet’ season from December to April has seen the mosquitoes breed fervently. In this region malaria is common place.

“The biggest killer of children throughout Melanesia is malaria”, stated Professor Sir Richard Feachem, the chair of AusAID’s malaria reference group. In his eyes though there are high hopes for Vanuatu where recently 5000 children were blood tested for contact with malaria, and only 3% were identified with the disease. Additional plans, projects and money are to be provided to make the region disease-free by 2015.

But how quickly will these remote, northern islands see the benefits? How many more small children will carry the disease for life?

These islanders are unable to buy the latest in medicines, to purchase chemically treated mosquito nets, and to access staff trained in supporting communities. A ‘no-cash economy’ provides no purchase power.

The local Secretary for Motolava, Harris Arop, suggests that he contact one group that can help. Using the village’s only solar powered phone, he calls the capital, Port Vila, and the YouMe Support Foundation.

Since 2004, the YouMe Support Foundation, a Child Trust Fund, has been assisting these islands. Children leading a healthy life will be better able to access education. The Trust is dedicated to giving children a chance at high school education.

In response to Harris’ urgent request, the YouMe Support Foundation gathered together 30kgs of basic medical supplies. Air freight was organised – ships can take weeks to get to these islands. But like many good plans in Vanuatu, the boxes sit packed, taped and addressed under the office windows.

These outer northern islands suffer from random communications and transportation. Perhaps the flight did not go as there was a priority elsewhere, or perhaps there was a lack of paying passengers.

While he waits, the ‘trained’ medical assistant begins work with the villagers. Prevention of illnesses will be one of his target areas as he begins to educate the people. The children need to be able to read and write. The children, once taught the ideas of “good health”, will take their new found knowledge and skills into their homes and communities for all to share. To a very basic primary education, can be added a health program.

In late 2007 the government acknowledged that it was unable to fund education and resources in these regions. Education is at a premium across the northern, isolated islands of Vanuatu. All over Vanuatu children miss out on education. With meagre or no incomes, and with no free education system, education remains beyond their realm.

The sad consequences of this are:

· only 55.8% of Vanuatu kids will get to grade 6;

· of those only 18.2% will go to high school ;

· 26% will never go to school at all.

Rick and Wendy Tendys, the founders of YouMe Support Foundation, are raffling Seachange Lodge (a private holiday home, plus 6 luxury holiday apartments) on the Internet, to raise funds for non-repayable high school education grants for the children of the outer islands of Vanuatu. This is a World First, Blue Moon Opportunity that will change someone’s life, as well as the lives of these children.

You can be part of this exciting project and make a real difference. You can visit these children. Vanuatu is only three hours flight from Sydney, Australia.