For two weeks in September and October I was lucky enough to join a New Colombo Plan funded Climate Change Communication Study Tour through Griffith University. I was one of 15 Griffith University communication students accompanied by three academics- Dr Kerrie Foxwell-Norton, Dr Samid Suliman and Dr Kasun Ubayasiri, and SBS Pacific correspondent Stefan Armbruster. We spent a week in Port Vila and a week on Tanna.
The first highlight of the trip was meeting former Secretary General Ketty Napwatt- a passionate woman who is all about empowerment. Ketty inspired myself and two of my friends to focus our creative project on ni-Vanuatu women.
Another highlight was visiting a local kava bar in Vila- think live music and local food. Kava is a plant-based drink that has a relaxing effect. It’s traditionally consumed by men at the nakamal while making important decisions. It has quite a unique taste- an acquired taste. The only way I can describe it is muddy water with a pepper kick. See the facial expressions below for more detail (taken at Joseph's Kava bar- I had the pleasure of drinking Kava on two separate occasions).
We all had a great time hanging out with the team from the Vanuatu Daily Post and Buzz 96FM Vanuatu. Monique, Kate, Cathy and I were interviewed by the lovely Kizzy Kalsakau. The 'Web Leader Press' was also impressive.
It rained pretty much all day on our whole island tour of Efate but it was nonetheless an enjoyable day. The rope swing at Blue Lagoon kept me entertained for a couple of hours. Our visit to Erick Tom's WWII Relics Museum was fascinating.
Tanna was my favourite part of the trip. Meeting gender equality advocate Jocelyn Usua and spending the whole day with women and children in Port Resolution was great. I learnt so much about ni-Vanuatu culture, tradition and kastom while also making personal connections.
Last but not least, spending our final night in Vanuatu on the edge of an active volcano was surreal. If you want to feel insignificant in the face of mother nature, Mount Yasur is where you want to go.
As an aspiring journalist, this trip presented an invaluable opportunity to learn about our Pacific neighbours and how to better communicate climate change. Having the opportunity to make connections with ni-Vanuatu is a privilege I will never take for granted.
