Youth activists help adolescents beat the odds in remote Vanuatu

When Bobby Shing’s grandmother died in 2001, it was a turning point. The musician from Aneityum, one of the most remote islands of Vanuatu, was just a child at the time, but he had already fallen into substance abuse. The loss of his grandmother made him realize he wanted to do more with his life. Now 23 years old, he runs a UNFPA-supported music programme that reaches out to vulnerable young people.

Aneityum is the farthest island from Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila. Government services are irregular, but cruise ships frequent the area, bringing with them the lure of a faraway lifestyle. At the same time, the island is steeped in tradition, which discourages people from discussing sexual and reproductive health and the other issues young people grapple with.

Reluctance to address these issues has had a direct effect on the health and well-being of the country’s youth. Vanuatu has one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in the Asia and Pacific Region. Rates of sexually transmitted infections are also very high, with a large proportion of young people engaging in unsafe sex practices.

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SOURCE & COPYRIGHT: UNFPA