Mother's Plea for Help

Dear Daughter,

Please don’t cry that you have no money to get me a Mother’s Day present. I know how much you wanted to get me that beautiful bright colored scarf.

But you can still give me a Mother’s Day gift of great value. A present no money can buy.

Sueane, you know I have goals for you. I long for you to have more in life than I did as a girl. It won't be easy for you to do this, but I want you to promise me that you will give it all your energy .

I don't want you to spend the rest of your life in the village. I don't want you to live in terror of your husband beating you up, after he has been drinking beer and kava. I don’t want you to be sold to some old man, whose wife has just died.

Sueane, you are a good girl. I want you to be able to hold your head high and know that you can attained anything you want to.

I have struggled all these years. I have tended the home garden to put food in the stomachs of the villagers. I have cared for the family bungalow and kept it clean and tidy.

Before you went to help your Aunty with the new baby, you helped me roll out the sleeping mats, kept the fire burning and stirred the pots to feed the mouths before dark. You never complained when you had to go to the next village, once in a blue moon, to carry back water when our supply dried up.

You have done well in primary school, learning everything you can from the teacher. But now it is time for you to go further, if I can find the tuition fees.

I will continue to sew every minute of the day I can. I heard the chief talking to your father a few days ago. There is a tourist ship coming to our tropical island soon. I will take the dresses to the local market and bring home the small amounts of cash. I will hide most of it away carefully for your school fees, so your father can’t waste it on kava.

Sueane, there is some hope of help. Harris Apos, the Mota Lava area secretary, told us of an organization helping kids like you go to high school. YouMe Support Foundation already helps the village school. Remember when Mr Ricki brought those boxes with pens and paper, school supplies. And the food parcels that came off the boats.

The guests of Seachange Lodge hear from Rick and Wendy Tendys, the owners of Seachange, about Mota Lava’s needs and leave things for the boxes. Seachange uses 10% of its earnings to provide items that Harris tells them we need.

When Cyclone Fuma came, they sent us rice and yams when no one else listened to our cry for help.

Sueane, if I can save up enough money you will have the opportunity to become a teacher like you dream about. You, my daughter, will be able to make a difference in our village in the years ahead and everyone will benefit - your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles. Only one or two of the villagers can read and write. Perhaps you could teach me to read and write. I would really appreciate that.

High School will take you away from our village, to Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila. I know you will be scared as you will have to leave the safety of our village life. You will have to struggle with a lot of new experiences, but you are a strong girl. I have met the people who will be looking after you from YouMe Support Foundation. They are good people, Sueane.

Daughter, there are people out there that care about us and want to help us. We must show them that we will take the opportunities offered to help with your education. Daughter, I want you to be part of this program. This is all I ask for a Mother’s Day gift. A gift that money cannot buy.

Love Mother

There are hundreds of kids subjected to this horrible injustice, in a Cashless Society like Vanuatu. Children who are high achieving pupils in their primary classes. The nation of Vanuatu needs these children if it is to take its rightful place in the Universal Community. You can help make a difference in these children's lives.

Become a ‘Friend Educating Kids’ and support more of the daughters of the north of Vanuatu, achieve their goals and move into the 21st century. You can become a friend to these girls. Touch base with them, follow their progress, and encourage them. Join us now at www.seachangelodge.com through a ‘Mother’s Day Special Gift.’