VPride Retreat 2022

Last week from the 5th of December, VPride and its various members held their annual VPried retreat at Pele Island. The yearly retreat aims to gather the various VPride members that are active in VPride activities to plan the upcoming year and discuss future improvements annually regarding VPrides work in the Efate, Santo, and Malekula. The retreat was held once more with the lovely people of the Launamua community on Pele.

Sadly this year due to complications with flights, the members from Santo and Malekula were unable to join their fellow members from Efate in the retreat. However, the retreat continued with its 4-day program. Joining the retreat were 2 representatives of Vanuatu Womens Centre(VWC), one of VPrides long-standing partners. These representatives were VWC's Vola Matas, the Coordinator of Vanuatu Womens Centre who came as the main facilitator for the first 3 days of the VPride Retreat, along with her Co-facilitator Sharlene Sarai. Addictionally 4 Peer Educators from Wan Smol Bag's (WSB), Kam Pushum Hed Klinik (KPH) re-joined the retreat, these were Clement Jimmy, Camillia Vira, Jayline Pakoa, and Ritchie Kaipang.

The first three days the participants went through various facilitations covering topics such as, Domestic Violence, Community perspectives of Gender, Human Rights, and the work that Males and Females along with SOGIE do in their day to day lives. The three day program covered these named topics which we in society consider as touchy subjects, civil, heated yet necessary discussions took place, especially when going over Domestic Violence and the communities perspective of the genders.

VPride Interns Jess Tonny and Eriko William identifying how domstic Violence occurs from a Males perspective.

Peer Educator Clement, and VPride member Kalonuk Discussing the effects of Domestic Violence.

VPride Interns Jess and Eriko, and peer educators Ritchie and Jayline, performing a roleplay on a girl in the community going through the struggles of being a growing woman.

Ongoing discussions on Human Rights.

Peer Educators Camillia and Clement, VPride members Kalonuk and Gibson Ngwele, and VPride Finance Officer Lizzie Iawantak, Showing the various places people can go to when facing domestic violence.

On the 9th of December the retreat attendees said their farewells to the community of launamua and made their way back to Port Vila.