The Maskelynes
Background
There are four villages that make up the community of the Maskelyne Islands – Peskarus, Pellongk, Lutes, and Avock. This is the community the Butterfly Trust first worked alongside in Vanuatu, starting in 2010.
Education
Eleven years ago, government school fee grants extended only to the end of primary school. Beyond that, parents – the vast majority of whom eke out a subsistence living from copra, kava, fishing, and market gardening – would somehow pay NZ$1000 – NZ$1500 annually per child so their sons and daughters could attend secondary school. Unsurprisingly, many families struggled to pay for the last four years of schooling and a large number of students dropped out.
Against this background, in 2012, the Butterfly Trust set up a school fees subsidy and scholarship fund to help pupils from the Maskelyne Islands complete their secondary education. Due to financial restraints, the funding of tertiary students was not included in the scheme, but the Trust also managed to fund, alone or jointly, some one-off vocational courses in electrical and solar power skills, generator and outboard engine maintenance, and construction. The Trust also made some contributions to the tuition fees of nursing students and some school infrastructure projects. In addition, it has funded and organised training courses for kindergarten and primary school teachers.
Following a careful transition process involving the Trust and the community, in January 2020 the Maskelyne Islands community took over full responsibility for the extra-governmental support of education. (This is helped by the fact that the Vanuatu government now subsidises school fees for Years 13 and 14.) If requested by the community, the Trust continues to support this programme as it moves into its next phase. This can entail administrative support, project development advice, and mentoring. For example, after the twin cyclones of 2023 made it difficult for the people of the Maskelynes to sell their produce and generate income, the Trust stepped in with one-off hardship scholarships so that five students from the community could continue their tertiary training.
Obed Kamsel, chairman of the Maskelyne Islands Butterfly Trust Committee, wrote at the beginning of the transition….
“We want to thank BT long (for) the great opportunity to begin to change the islanders’ mentality to start to put education as a priority. Thank you NZ (and other) donors and fundraisers to support our children, blo givim sapot (for supporting) our children from this small island. In one way or another, without your help we cannot be serious in education and upgrade education in our province. We hope more of our children will work in government departments, maybe some will take on high leadership positions in the future in our country. Sipa hambat (thank you very much)”
To read Obed’s full report click on the link. (He writes mostly in English with the occasional Bislama phrase thrown in – it is a good opportunity to practise your Bislama!) – Summary from Obed Kamsel 2019.
Health
The Trust has had a long association with the Maskelynes Dispensary, four villages and schools, to improve access to basic health services and health education for adults and children. This has included dental screenings and treatment, eye checks, ENT screenings and public health awareness on a variety of topics such as infectious disease prevention, nutrition, NCD (non-communicable diseases) screenings and awareness, hygiene and sanitation. These activities have been carried out in partnership with national and provincial health teams as well as visiting volunteers from overseas, in particular dental practitioners.
Over recent years, these outreaches have become more integrated and holistic, with growing input from local health workers and education officers. This is in line with the Trust’s long-term goal to strengthen local capacity. The intended outcome is for rural and remote island outreaches to be organised locally through the provincial base of the Ministry of Health while visiting health practitioners and the Trust provide technical support as required. A recent example of this approach is that after Covid-19 reached Vanuatu in 2022, the Trust provided financial assistance to enable provincial health teams, the police and Red Cross, to jointly facilitate awareness about establishing community isolation centres in Malampa Province, which includes the Maskelyne Islands.
After a hiatus of almost three years due to Cyclone Harold in 2020 and then Covid-19 restrictions, in October 2022 the Trust also resumed dental outreach services in conjunction with Ministry of Health dental practitioners from the jointly administered dental clinic in Lamap. A number of people from the Maskelyne Islands received treatment.
The Trust also continues its work with the Health Promoting Schools programme which is promoted by the Malampa provincial education and provincial health teams throughout Malampa Province, including the schools on the Maskelynes. The programme includes nutrition and healthy food choices, oral health focusing on toothbrushing, dental screenings and preventative treatments, deworming, personal hygiene, water and sanitation.
Ikkana, a local partner
In early January 2019, Max Albert, from Northwest Malekula, the founder of Ikkana Cancer Foundation, spent four days in the Maskelynes talking to women and girls about the risks and prevention of cervical cancer. He held workshops in each village. (Max is also carrying out this work in collaboration with the Trust in other areas of Malekula.) Max returned in mid-2020 to screen and present the results of cervical cancer testing his team had carried out in the Maskelynes. He also carried out more awareness. We continue to support Max in this work.
(If you want to read more about the historical work of the Trust in the Maskelyne Islands, click on the link to our archive of newsletters.)
