Vanuatu

In Vanuatu, project activities were implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute in partnership with the Government of Vanuatu through the Department of Energy.

Initially, Mr. Paul Kaun (GGGI’s Senior Program Officer) was the National Coordinator for the project, but was later replaced by Mr. Jesse Benjamin (GGGI’s Senior Officer) in Vanuatu.

The project preliminary assessment had identified four islands in Vanuatu as potential rural sites for implementing this project. These included the islands of Santo, Malekula, Ambyrm and Pentecost and they been prioritized based on current and pipeline RE projects earmarked for implementation. These RE related projects include the Vanuatu Rural Electrification Project (VREP), the BRANTV Project, and the Solar Water Pump Project, administered by the World Bank, UNDP and GGGI respectively. While the VREP focusses on whole of Vanuatu, BRANTV mainly focusses on Pentecost and Santo, the Solar Water Pump Project concentrates on the islands of Santo, Malekula and Ambrym.

It also identified some challenges to implementing RE projects in rural areas of Vanuatu including:

• There is high GE, RE and EE knowledge gap between main urban and sub-national levels and the rural communities.
• Low Literacy level in rural communities.
• Most knowledge enhancement trainings are conducted in main urban centers.
• Inadequate rural training centers, plus, no GE, RE and EE courses offered in their training modules, even at the main centers which is minimal.

The National workshop took place on 24 July 2019 at the Tiri Bar and Restaurant, Nasese FNU Campus, Fiji National University, Suva.

The workshop was organized to engage and get the support of key national stakeholders before the national implementation of the project. There was a good representation of the various national stakeholders and institutions which included the Ministry of Employment, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Fiji Higher Education Commission, iTaukei Affairs Board, University of Fiji, University of the South Pacific, Fiji National University, Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas Network.

Participants were asked to review and confirm the project implementation sites, the type of training modules relevant for the locally targeted groups, and to identify potential individuals, organizations and agencies to assist in delivering the training.

The selected communities trained in Vanuatu were:

• Parisa/Wailapa, Santo Island
• Small (Big) Nanuku , Malo Island
• Tisman, Malekula Island
• Vinmavis, Malekula Island
• Melsisi, Pentecost Island