Vanua Fire – fire dancing Vanuatu style
As I write this, it’s a Friday and I am thinking back a few weeks ago, when I was getting ready to head out to Mele Bay with the ni Vanuatu family where I was staying, for a night of entertainment…
May 2015 – Specials
Here's two good deals for you as we head into a New Zealand winter - I know your skin will appreciate any help it can get. Maybe you love making Paleo sweet treat recipes, that are so very often filled with coconut…
Every dollar counts for the recovery from Cyclone Pam
Yes, there has been widespread devastation on 22 of the 83 islands in Vanuatu. Yes, there has been injury. Yes, sadly there has been loss of life; including my beautiful friend Meribel from Epi - I think of her every day…
Help the cyclone Pam recovery with Ni Vanuatu designed & created earrings
Here's a practical way of directly helping some ni Vanuatu women in their recovery from Cyclone Pam. Lav Kokonas has been developing a number of micro enterprise initiatives to support rural communities in Vanuatu. However, some of those projects have had to take a…
More football gear headed for Vanuatu
In a land that so loves the beautiful game, I wasn't surprised when I was asked to once again see if I could source some more football strips. We had been able to arrange to re-home 50 teams of…
Mathematics books – revisiting donations to Vanuatu
Do you recall one of the earlier projects of Lav Kokonas was arranging to send 100kg of Year 10-13 Mathematics Text books to Vanuatu? The text books were received in 2013 from Nelson College for Girls, and shipped to Vanuatu…
Basket Blong Titi – Bras for rural communities in Vanuatu
Basket Blong Titi - I love that bislama term for bra. This idea came about when talking with some female ni Vanuatu seasonal fruit workers, soon after their arrival in New Zealand, in December 2014, for another season in the…
Micro Enterprise to support Ni Vanuatu women – after Cyclone Pam
A micro enterprise developed by Lav Kokonas during the past 5 months, has taken a different direction since cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu on 13th March 2015. The intention was to show ni Vanuatu women currently working in New Zealand, jewellery making skills that could be…
Cyclone Pam
No doubt you've been watching the updates on television about the tragedy that has been left in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Pam across Vanuatu. Our hearts go out to all those affected. We continue to support the local RSE…
Has your Virgin Coconut Oil melted in this heat?
Temperatures this summer have been pretty hot for New Zealand. My kitchen started at about 23 degrees this morning and by early evening when the sun was streaming onto the bench, it was over 30 degrees. That's not our usual…