Food Revolution Day - "teach every child about food"

I recently watch celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver give a TedEx Talk (although it was recorded in 2010!). He was on the start of his anti obesity mission in the USA then and was delivering some strong arguments for teaching American children about where food comes from and to help them make healthier food choices. 

From statistics that show the biggest killer of Americans are diet related preventable diseases to dumping a wheelbarrow of sugar on the stage (the amount of sugar American kids drink in their milk every year) the passionately delivered talk was a plea to schools and parents to make healthier food choices. 

More information about the Food Revolution and how you can get involved can be found here: http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/

While I assume that Vanuatu is not at the same level of obesity as the USA, and I'm sure many other developed countries, it is apparent that there will be added strain on the health system with a growing number of adults here diagnosed with diabetes and diet related diseases - and in time their children will face the same health related issues. It is also apparent that local children are eating more and more sugary food and drinks and convenience foods such as rice, noodles and bread and large portion sizes - especially of rice.

The Green Hands Garden project is supporting schools to establish school vegetable gardens to supply their canteen, and in turn provided healthy choices for students. In the future we hope to have a school resource written in the three national languages to accompany the garden project as a teaching resource that provides nutritious information about food from the garden and an appropriate recipe for the canteen to use.  

rethinking how to be effective...

We sat back and thought about how we could best utilise the generous donations made by family, friends, friends of friends and complete strangers. Our premise that food will have a dual purpose; to feed families and give people the opportunity to earn an income, still stood strong in our belief as an effective way to contribute to the rebuild. 

Interestingly the theme of the rebuild here is "Build Back Better", and so from our research and local knowledge we found that there were a lot of donated seeds being distributed across the country. We also became aware that in some cases (not all), locals don't usually grow food from seed, they usually grow their daily food source from cuttings and seeded vegetables. That being said there is increasing local knowledge around growing food from seed - and often this is food that is not traditional, or a usual food dietary item. 

So we thought with the "Build Back Better" mantra that to increase the success rate of seeds becoming food that we (I  mean Wayne really!) would grow and distribute seedlings instead of distributing seeds.

Purchased packets of seeds from Vanuatu Agriculture Supplies.
The standard packet of seeds is about 95vatu (NZ$1.20) and supports an established company
to support the employment of  locals.

First batch of seeds included DWARF BEANS; BOK CHOY; TOMATO

                                   
     

We were both surprised at how well the seedlings grew, in some cases the seeds
germinated within days so we needed to get them in the ground quickly !

hmmmm ... distribution of seeds...not all it seems... everybody's doin it :)

Port Vila fresh food market, a source
of food for suburbanites, and a source
of income for the many rural families.

Our initial thoughts were that we would send seeds far and wide across Vanuatu so that the NiVanuatu could start feeding themselves and selling their excess produce. So we set about doing more research when we arrived back in Vanuatu (post wedding) and realised that there was already a significant amount of donated seeds ready to be distributed in the worst affected areas.

...and then we were asked if we could help out with the national distribution of donated seeds to priority areas (Tafea, Shefa & Penama Provinces) and a smaller distribution across Port Vila. Being involved in the process has informed and taught us a lot about what is needed here and what works, and where. So we spent two and a half weeks working with an amazing team from the Department of Agriculture to get the seeds out to where they were needed. A massive logistical undertaking!

Loads and loads of packets and bulk seeds.

A variety of Beans, Chinese Cabbage, English Cabbage, Sweet Corn,
Pumpkin, Cucumber, Watermelon, Tomato
Lettuce, Carrot,  Pawpaw, Courgette/Marrow etc etc  

Sorting out 650kgs of bulk seeds and more than 20,000 packets - phew!

In addition to the national distribution of seeds (tools are yet to be distributed - due to be done at the end of May), there are a number of donated seeds flowing into Vanuatu being distributed through various informal networks.

So while working on the national distribution Wayne was also growing seedlings to distribute where they are needed - but with the national seed distribution programme almost complete we came to realise that there was an immediate need in our neighbourhood - and across Port Vila the urban capital which was categorised as a lesser priority area but often relies on the outer islands for local food. So we are looking to see how we can help to address some gaps here in Port Vila.

How do we best help rebuild Vanuatu post TC Pam?

When Tropical Cyclone Pam viciously ripped through Vanuatu on the evening of Friday 13th March 2015 we felt like we had lived through the most frightening night of our lives. And as the howling winds and driving rains subsided we ventured outside the morning after - we were absolutely dumbstruck about the devastation around us and how bad it actually had been. Areas that were once luscious and green were now bare and stripped of trees and leaves. Homes that were once pristine were trashed with roofing iron ripped off and ceilings collapsed. 

As I wondered around a nearby village I was amazed at how people were going about cleaning up and recycling what they could to rebuild their basic, and in some cases, shanty type homes. We visit friends to make sure they were ok, and then spent a few days assisting with the evacuation of kiwi tourists and distraught residents and trying to locate kiwis to make sure they were safe and well. 

In preparation for TC Pam Cat 5 we
had some very big coconut trees
trimmed....

and he did an AMAZING job, 
and then did the same for our neighbours.

the day after TC PAM
...our neighbours garden shed ends up in our back yard smashed!
And the local school in the background that lost their roof.

A quick trip home for a beautiful wedding, and we set about thinking how we could contribute to the rebuild of Vanuatu post the emergency humanitarian aid and relief. We set up a fundraising page that has exceeded our expectations.

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/cyclonepamvanuatu