NZ Childrens Trust

Mission Statement

"To work alongside remote communities to establish sustainable and economically viable programmes for the advancement of education and health for women, children and the community as a whole"

Projects Completed 2002

Charitable Trust established "New Zealand Children’s Health & Education Trust"
2002 Rural Vision Eye Trust prescreening, transport of patients, eye surgery Port Vila Hospital under John Szetu of Fred Hollows Foundation.
Building completed Fire Mountain Medical Clinic, Ranon Village, Ambrym Island
Re opening abandoned Aulua Medical Clinic, Banam Bay, Malekula.
Building Maskelyne Islands Medical Clinic, Sakau Island in conjunction with NZ AID (New Zealand Government High Commission)
2 month Mobile Roving Specialist Medical Team involving 6 US based specialists traveling through the island of Vanuatu providing specialist care.
Operation of 2, 70 tonne island schooners for cargo and accommodation vessels chartered to transport medical equipment, building materials, personnel, patients and doctors around remote communities.
Laying 2 heavy duty moorings for supply craft Maskelynes and Malekula.
Commenced Training and education of 11 aspiring medical practitioners in Maskelyne Islands.

Projects Completed 2003

Transport and support 16 volunteer health workers and doctors in 4 successive cycles
Transport 63 eye patients from various villages in Ambrym to Norsup hospital in Malekula for eye surgery. Support for patient, doctors and nurses.
Installed moorings at Sakau Island, Nopul clinic and repair moorings at Banam Bay.
Transport building materials, design and build Coral Bay Clinic 2002
Collaboration with "Save the Children Fund" in training of students in Vila and acquisitions of Aid Post manuals.
Assessed and made lists of materials at Nopul Clinic, Ambrym Island to prepare for the building of Woman’s Centre 2004, also did repairs on the lights at the clinic. Conditions are very bad, the roof has holes, and there are no windows, no water and only one light. This clinic delivers 6-8 babies per month.
Transport various patients to Vila with life threatening problems including: a stroke patient, a pregnant mother with a breach baby and an elderly patient male with prostate problems.
Transport and hand deliver most of a 40ft container full of medicine, medical supplies and school supplies.
Organise training and support for 11 Ni-Vanuatu medical students who have traveled with the roving doctors for three seasons now, and have been accepted for the nursing college in Vila. They have sat the English exams and have all passed now they are waiting funding for 2004 season.
Organised Distant Education Medical Training Programme through University of the South Pacific to assist in the diagnosis of patients at the remote Aid Posts.
Meetings with many woman’s groups and volunteer woman doctors to establish good communication and discuss the long term needs of the woman and their children on the remote islands. Discussed the possibility of building the "Woman’s Birthing and Health Centre" Coral Bay Ambrym Island and Sakau Island 2004.

Projects Completed 2004

Institute public appeal for cyclone Ivy Relief Fund, gather and distribute 20 tonnes of donated goods, food and medicines to the devastated areas.
Commence second five year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ministry of Health Vanuatu. Complete the first exploratory health status expedition of the Torba Province, including Torres Islands and West Coast of Espiritu Santo with seven doctors from England, Australia and New Zealand lead by Dr John MacIntosh an experienced well known outback practitioner, using two 70 tonne schooners and several yachts, reporting to the Government of Vanuatu on dire health status of two previously unknown villages in the West Coast of Espiritu Santo, containing seven hundreds people with tuberculosis, malaria, filiriasis and pneumonia at epidemic levels.
Continue with the Rural Vision Eye Trust project, in conjunction with Fred Hollows Foundation. Transporting 70 elderly cataract eye patients from their villages to Port Vila hospital, then transporting them back to their respective villages with on board nurses supplying after surgery care.
Design and build accommodation for medical practitioners and trainees (visiting and local) at 4 local medical aid posts Ambrym, Banam Bay, Sakau and Sangali.
Deliver doctors and nurses to Sakau Clinic for general health clinics and Aid Post worker training. Meet with Council of Chiefs to discuss the implementation of health plan initiative for Maskelynes area.
Distribute 80 tonnes of medical supplies and healthcare equipment donated by Project MARC (medical assistance to remote communities) and its affiliates.

Projects Completed 2005

Reopened, restocked, cleaned and maintained clinic at Sakau.
Held surgeries for 4 weeks with doctors, nurses and dentists.
Visited Pelong, Peskarus, Sangalai, Maskelynes, and Avok islands for scabies and louse treatment clinics.
Held surgeries at Pelong, Peskarus, Sangalai, Maskelynes and Avok with doctors, nurses and dentists.
Ran a four week medical training programme at Sakau clinic with doctor,nurses and dentists for all aid post workers from the Malampa Province.

Projects Completed 2006

Reopened, restocked,cleaned and maintained Medical Clinic at Sakau Island.
Four weeks of medical clinics and aid post worker training programmes at Sakau.
Nombong Spirit Saelkenu School built at Sakau Island, Maskleynes.
First 10 students completed the Saelkenu School syllabus and graduated.
Meetings and discussions held with council of chiefs in preparation for building Transport and Medical passenger boat Lanisif.

Projects Completed 2007

Reopen Nambong Spirit Sailing & Navigation school with 10 new students completed the sailing syllabus and graduate.
Built 28ft Wharram design catamaran "Lanisif" with the local boat builders for use by the people of the Maskelynes for transport, medical emergencies and trade.
Coconut soap making workshop with Sandra & Ron Craig soap makers from NZ, to educate the local women in the art of coconut soap making, to assist with the health and hygiene of the whole community.
Formed a women’s collective "Palm Project"- initiated by the women of the Maskelynes as a means of collectively working together to turn the coconut soap into an industry for the betterment of the whole community.
Midwife Training seminar with Julie Holden – Midwife/Educator from NZ. Julie held two all day workshops attended by seventy five custom midwives.
Organised surgeries and clinics with doctors, dentists and nurses in all villages of the Maskelynes.
Reopen, resupply, clean and maintain the clinic on Sakau and carry on the training of local aid post workers.
Administer scabies and lice treatment to all villages in the Maskelynes.

Projects Completed 2008

Received funding from NZAID KOHA PICD to build soap factory in thevillage of Peskarus in the Maskelynes
While in Vila we meet up with Palm Project and researched the possibility of selling the soap and other products to hotels and resorts, we meet with favorable comments and possibilities of contracts. Most hotels and resorts wanted the whole range Soap, shampoo, conditioner and body cream.
Acquired building materials from Vila and chartered a boat to transport the supplies to the Maskelynes
On arrival we held many public meetings to confirm our intentions for the soap factory and to negotiate with the village as to how the soap factory would be organised, who would build it, who would manage it and how the proceeds would be handled. The village was supportive and the wider community offered their help and support.
Young men from the RTC (rural training college) were employed to build the soap factory while others were employed as laborers, twelve in total. They worked under the guidance of Marcus Taylor and with in three weeks the Palm Project had a base for their soap production.

Liane from NZCHET and Rolini from Palm Project

aboard Mundaca transporting supplies to Peskarus to build the Soap Factory.

The builders completing the doors for Palm Project Soap Factory

Projects Completed 2009

· Upgrade of the soap factory with solar panels, batteries, inverter, lights, coconut press, kitchen sink with taps.

· Rural training college graduates built the managers hut at the soap factory site for caretaker and so there will always be someone there to purchase the oil.

· Held women’s meeting to elect 10 women to: design Product Range, set a fair price for buying coconut oil and reassess price of local soap

· Design product range comprising of, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and soap.

· Started to buy coconut oil from the local families giving them an income

· Started selling the coconut soap with added tea tree to all villages and surrounding islands

· Introduced sample range to hotels and resorts in Port Vila with favourable outcome ie: contract available if we are able to produce 1200 units per month.

· Include two males in the Palm Project team that are tutored by the women.