It’s these situations that make me re-evaluate my position here and what my overall objectives really are here in Vanuatu.

With such focus on workshops, I had (intentionally) neglected to even contemplate the looming celebrations of world AIDS day, being a crucial day to inform the communities here about HIV and the pending HIV testing services on the island, all of which being one of the most important events of my placement here in Vanuatu, just when I thought my hard work was over…

Formal handshaking before
football match

There was a real lethargy of enthusiasm not just from Colenso my counterpart, but everyone in the provincial health office (it certainly doesn’t help that there is no manager here, no appreciation given, heavy workloads and everyone want to leave for Christmas)

With the posters written, activities organised and planning commenced I asked for a general opinion. There was an outcry of complaints I had written just a two day programme which was faaaar to short and I must extend it to three! What a joke.

Ironically they didn’t actually want to help with the programme!. It took an awful lot of effort to organise a meeting prior to the event, disappointingly Colenso decided to loiter at the bank instead of attending the meeting until I said to her that I was seriously going to cancel it if she had no input.

Dead bullock to transport by boat

Do I go ahead and work independently and get the message across achieving my objectives or do I just give in?

I don’t want to be another “white man” that comes to fix everything to then see that it all falls apart when I leave and nothing is learnt or sustainable for the future, there needs to be joint effort and we need to learn from one another.

Youth presenting theatre production
on STIs, teenage pregnancy & HIV

Amazingly people came together and could see my frustrations and eventually managed to delegate responsibilities amongst them. The First two days were sports days (football, volleyball, pentague or boule). First day nobody showed, NOBODY, not even the organisers. I was alone in that field cursing this three day programme. Second day gave me more scope to organise, as there were invariably many problems, PA systems, no fuel for the truck on the island, trying to organise transport for the dead bullock that was to be cooked for the community (agh), finishing stage, decorations, no electricity in office, no printer, of course the formalities of speeches, the list goes on. People at least showed up! Result! And turned out to be a successful day, and through all these activities it did draw people’s attention.

Procession

Finished stage

Had I been far too extravagant with my plan? At 5am I was out on the field with others decorating the stage with flowers and the World AIDS day banner, zipped around to paste up posters for the day’s activities, nipped home, washed all the sweat off, just to be covered with sweat again only five minutes later, it’s a blistering hot day. Heller in hand I was off marching down the road with the support from Amanda (Peace Corp Volunteer). We were slowly gathering people for the next two hours. I was delighted with the effort that people put in for the float competition. Most impressive were a group of lads that strapped two wheelbarrows together, sound system inside and walking along beside was a guy holding up a solar panel to run the thing! Ingenious! People were becoming restless and Colenso was still not there. I attempted to call numerous times but eventually gave in and we started the march slowly down our one road in Sola! I’m very impressed, we certainly made one hell of a noise and there was a good turnout, with people joining in as we went.

Solar run sound system on two wheel
barrows - Ingenious! 

Carrying flower salu salu's for official
opening ceremony

Luckily Colenso and I had arranged that I would make the opening speech if she would close the programme. She still was not there. I was disappointed. All the speeches went well and at the end she arrived, furious that we didn’t wait for her. I tried to talk with her calmly, but she puffed her chest out, let rip in speedy Bislama, that we all had no respect for her and said that she was going to go home and not come back to help. And that was that, she went home for some time, eventually crawled back, found a shady spot under a tree far enough so that she knew what was going on but far enough so as not to get involved in any way. I was disappointed in one way, but delighted on the other hand, the few people that did help, really bent over backwards to assist, if it wasn’t for them, the day wouldn’t have been such a success. We had a handful of people managing and refereeing  the final of the football, volley ball and pentague (boule), the condom distributors for Mota Lava running the awareness stand with condom competition, poetry competition, condom demonstration and distribution, they also put on five short plays discussing STIs, teenage pregnancy, smoking and the dangers of traditional medicine in treating STIs. Throughout the day we also had canoe race, fan weaving competition (from coconut leaves), lemon and spoon race, tug of war and the finale, the kustom aelan dress sho (Island dress show). There were seven competitor, Amanda and I performed last, flashing out kustom island dresses with condom packets, dancing with condom necklaces (traditionally a welcoming reef of flowers round the neck –salu salu’s) and keeping torba free from HIV signs, that and the arse shaking got the audience roaring with laughter and a first place prize!

Yeah, think the message is out now….