Willy Missack is the lead applicant for Loss and Damage project in Vanuatu on behalf of Learn to Serve Vanuatu.
Learn to Serve Vanuatu is the recipient organization of the $50,000 loss and damage grant to implement the loss and damage project in Nakula Mene on Tanna Island, Vanuatu.
Learn to Serve Vanuatu was awarded a $50,000 grant to implement their proposed loss and damage project. The grant was part of the 2nd cycle of the loss and damage grant awarded by the Loss and Damage Youth Grant Making Cycle through the support of the Open Society Foundations and the Climate Justice Resilience Fund.
The tribe of Nakula Mene on Tanna Island, Vanuatu, has faced recurring challenges in accessing clean drinking water due to severe cyclones. In 2015, Cyclone Pam, a Category 5 storm, devastated the island’s water system, which served 612 households, two primary schools with 400 students, and a medical dispensary for 760 people. Subsequent back-to-back Category 4 cyclones, Judy and Kevin, in 2023, further damaged the system. These disasters left water sources contaminated, forcing tribe members to walk long distances to access water, disproportionately burdening women and youth. Schools often close during droughts, disrupting education. Despite raising $45,444 towards repairs, the tribe faces a funding shortfall to cover the $95,444 required to restore the system fully.
This project aims to upgrade and cyclone-proof the Nakula Mene water system to ensure sustainable access to clean drinking water. Key activities include repairing and strengthening the spring box, water storage, pipes, and tapstands, and promoting household water treatment. Beyond infrastructure, the project focuses on building resilience by empowering youth and women with plumbing and financial management skills to manage the system and address future challenges. A tribe banking system will also be established to fund ongoing maintenance and emergency repairs. By restoring the water system, the project will improve health, education, and livelihoods, while reducing the burden on women and youth, enhancing the community’s adaptive capacity against climate change impacts.
The first grant cycle launched on the 22nd of September 2022. Over 200 organizations applied and before 2023 11 organizations were support with the sum of $150,000
The Second cycle announce at COP28 in Dubai launched on the 1st of February 2024 and the winners of the “$275,000” grant were announced at the SBs in Bonn
