The Nee Vanuatu descendants residing in Muanikoso have highlighted issues of land tenure, discrimination and the absence of quality education as obstacles to their community’s development.

This evaluation identified historical traumas as significant barriers to progress for the descendants of the Melanesian community.

The Office of the Prime Minister is taking the lead role in finding solutions for marginalized communities.

Nee Vanuatu’s fifth-generation representative, Mateo Butuni, emphasized the urgent need for land tenure ship clarification.

“There’s no grant given or help in regards to the development of the community because the land is not ours. We are just using it, but it’s not written in black and white.”

Nee Vanuatu’s fifth-generation representative, Mateo Butuni

Butuni also clarified the discrimination experienced by the Nee-Vanuatu community.

According to Fiji Council of Social Services Executive Director Vani Catanasiga, the goal is to create a structure that supports inclusive growth within the Melanesian Community while also securing land tenure.

“You’ve got to understand some of the historical trauma in order to ensure that the development initiatives you roll out for communities that, you know, will be seen as living in poverty. You need to address the historical trauma in order for them to then rise up, be empowered, and seek their solutions.”

Fiji Council of Social Services Executive Director Vani Catanasiga

Stakeholders hope to break the cycle of poverty and promote long-lasting transformation in these neglected communities by recognizing and treating historical trauma.