Some of the women of Vanuanui have formed a collective making fine handicrafts from pandanus, coconuts leaves, shells, and wood. These are used for special events as gifts and some are bought by tourists. Vanuanui has a small town centre where people can buy basic food, farming, building and machinery supplies. Religion The majority of the people of Vanuanui are Christian and go to one of the two churches in the area. The larger church is Congregationalist and the other Methodist. A small but growing group of the community is Muslim. A mosque has recently been built on the outskirts of the town centre. Sports Vanuanui has a men’s and women’s rugby team, both of whom are doing well in the regional competition. However, the community is most proud of one of its women who is the current national outrigger canoeing champion. International Agencies The United Nations Country Team is based in the capital but, at various times, joint projects have been carried out with the people of Vanuanui related to climate change, disaster resilience, economic empowerment and gender equality. Challenges While Vanuanui is a close-knit and cohesive community it is also facing significant challenges: • Climate change is resulting in frequent destructive weather events and rising sea levels. • Lack of awareness about human rights and how they link to the issues the community faces. • Decisions have been made that affect Vanuanui without genuine engagement (free prior informed consent) with the community. This is particularly so with an influx of international interests such as fishing and logging companies. • Family poverty is increasing arising from difficulty in maintaining sustainable livelihoods. • There is an inadequate source of safe, clean water for domestic use and irrigation. • Roads are poor and infrastructure insufficient. • Health services are inadequate and there is little knowledge about sexual and reproductive health. • Lack of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health rights taught in schools and communities. • Family violence, child neglect and child abuse are increasing. • Child labour and sexual exploitation of children are on the rise. • Suicide amongst young people is increasing. • Covid-19 is affecting the community’s health, family cohesion and the economy due to closed borders, the ban on non-essential cargo and the lack of overseas tourists. APF HRCLD Guide 10