Slow food festival supporting a healthy Vanuatu in the face of COVID-19

Above: The opening parade of the South Pentecost Mini Slow Food Festival. Photo: John Warren Tari/Vanuatu Christian Council

A food festival might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we think of responding to COVID-19, as many festivals and celebrations around the world have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

But in Vanuatu, which remained free of COVID-19 throughout 2020 and 2021, learning how to cook local foods and how to keep food longer is important for resilience, while supporting healthy eating. Many families and individuals suffered financial impacts due to the country’s border closures and impact on tourism, and eating locally-grown produce is one way to stretch household resources further.

In June last year, Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC), as part of AHP partner CAN DO’s (Church Agencies Network – Disaster Operations) COVID-19 response, ran consultations with seven communities in the Southern part of Pentecost around food security.

Above: A young boy watches on as traditional laplap is prepared. Photo: John Warren Tari/Vanuatu Christian Council

The consultations led to a ‘South Pentecost Mini Slow Food Festival’ supported by VCC to showcase the traditional food, cooking and preservation techniques of the region.

The festival, the first of its kind in South Pentecost, went ahead in September 2021, with the aim of increasing awareness, particularly for younger generations, on how traditional foods are prepared and to advocate for healthy eating by promoting the nutritional value of local food. An additional six communities joined the festival, bringing the total number participating to 13.

Despite rain affecting some parts of the program, each community displayed their traditional food and preservation techniques to crowds of eager onlookers and school students.

The traditional food and preparation techniques ranged from slowly roasted yam taro over an open fire, different types of laplap baked in an earth oven by women, cooking of simboro in bamboo tubes, to the traditional preparation of kava by men.

Above: Laplap preparation before it is baked in an earth oven. Photo: John Warren Tari/Vanuatu Christian Council

With over 250 people in attendance, the VCC team constructed handwashing stations, distributed COVID-19 awareness t-shirts, and provided posters on COVID-19 preventative measures to the communities. Good health and hygiene practices were also focus of discussions during the festival.

Pastor Nelly Bebe, a leader from Ranwas village, reflected on the importance of the festival for teaching youth about traditional methods of preparing and preserving food.

“The event was very important because it will help provide knowledge for the young generation by teaching them how their ancestors prepared and preserved traditional foods during times of disaster, and it was also a great opportunity to learn from other villages. Our slow food will help the younger generation with their education and to eat healthy,” Nelly said.

Following the successful conclusion of the festival, communities have begun reviving some of their traditional food preservation methods.

Above: Yam and taro being prepared using traditional methods by South Pentecost women. Photo: John Warren Tari/Vanuatu Christian Council

Because of its popularity and success, communities in South Pentecost have also agreed to make the festival an annual event, with the next one to be hosted by Panlimsie village in 2022.

The food festival is not the only project for VCC as part of the AHP COVID-19 response. During the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV) National Youth Convention at Liro village on Paama island in 2021, 900 young people were empowered to lead on COVID-19 prevention messaging in their communities.

The VCC has used a biblical perspective to demonstrate that faith in Christian values and good medical advice work hand in hand for good health and in the fight against COVID. Young people were equipped with seven scripture verses from the Bible to share with their communities to support the COVID-19 response, as well as awareness materials such as posters.

Elder Charles Maniel, a member of the Malasitapu church in Port Vila, said it was important for youth to understand that Christian beliefs and good medical advice are not enemies.

Above: Youth at the national convention holding up information posters. The posters use messages from the Bible to support the COVID-19 response. Photo: John Warren Tari/Vanuatu Christian Council

“This helped the youths to understand that good medical advice and the Bible or faith are one. Faith without action is dead. God gave us the wisdom and knowledge for us to use and Faith must be put into practice,” Charles said.

VCC’s COVID-19 response activities were supported by the Australian Government, and implemented through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.