Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Meeting with the Minister of Education

I have met with an officer in the Ministry of Education and talked with many other people about the biggest problems facing the children here. What is really going on here with the education is a lot differnet from what the differnet goverment reports are saying. Despite reports they are NOT helping with the vatu (money) for the education. The fees are very high and most are never able to even get to elementary school. The people here are not dumb. They know that there is a world out there and if their children are to have any chance at any life other than gardening they must get an education. It is such a quaint way of life here, but many of the parents want their kids to get an education. They understand how many of the customs are very dangerous and detrimental to the health and well being. The Population on Tanna is exploding, and there is only so much natural supplies like water. Although it would be beautiful if the people could garden forever and live how they do the people can see they live in a change world and need education to survive. You can see this well even walking through a tiny village, that seems to be virtually untouched by the outside world, though it seems magical it also has another side to it.

They Minister of Education told us that there is so many problems going on in the goverment that the only way to really make a differnce is to start small just working with one village. So right now we are working with Isini Village. Let me tell you a little bit about Isini village. It is one of the prettiest villages I have been to. You walk it to the village and there is neet little gardens on both side. They have gorgoues veggtable gardends lined with little sapplings and arbors coverd in passion fruit vines. The little kids run around in packs laughind and teasing eachother. They sing so beauifully and love to share food with us. Every one is the village is realted it is like one big extanded family. 

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