Here are some interesting updates that have recently occurred in Vanuatu…
First, Radio New Zealand has reported that Vanuatu’s education ministry is reprinting homeschooling material in Bislama, because of difficulties in getting English and French materials to the right houses in the trilingual country.
Bislama is spoken nation-wide in Vanuatu, while English or French are more common in different parts, though all three are recognized officially.
Early childhood administration officer Dorine Lessy said the materials will be reprinted after parents said they were experiencing difficulty with the English and French materials. “So now the ministry already prepared the Bislama version to help the parents who are speaking English or French to monitor their children or child at home.” Dorine Lessy said nation-wide distribution should begin next month.
Port Vila Market to Reopen
Journalist Len Garae of the Vanuatu Daily Post wrote an interesting article about the reopening of the central market in Port Vila this week…
If there is anything good that preparedness for COVID-19 will benefit Port Vila then it is the closing down of Port Vila Market, during which it has been renovated to give it a new facelift in the National Capital.
Not only that but it is important that all market vendors in the city know that the Market is reopening next week on the morning of May 4th with the first 50 vendors.
Speaking on behalf of the Manager of the Market House, Daniel Poussai says it is most important that this information is made known to the farmers and vendors as well as the public to know that the first 50 vendors will sell their farm produce for a day then return home to make way for the next fifty vendors to sell theirs the next day.
He says it is important the maximum limit number of vendors is respected to maintain the necessary social distancing of people to discourage crowdedness which has been blamed for the continuation of Coronavirus cases explosion globally today, which has already increased beyond three million cases.
Meanwhile Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands are two of very few countries in the Pacific Region without any Coronavirus cases yet. Nearby countries including Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia (18), Fiji (18) and Papua New Guinea (8) have confirmed coronavirus cases among their populations.
An empty market, Port Vila, Vanuatu
Island Time 