The Power of Stories

Before embarking on my learning journey to Vanuatu, I needed to consider what would be the best methods for gathering information that were best suited to the cultural, political and social context.

After talking with Ni-Vanuatu friends and family, and conducting some rather unscientific online research before I left I was none the wiser.

So I had to embrace the unknown, and draw from my current understandings and intuitions about Ni-Vanuatu people and culture, gained from my own life experiences as a Ni-Vanuatu born and raised in New Zealand.

I was also guided, but not defined by, the Talanoa research framework:

This framework weaves Ofa (Love), Mafana (Warmth), Malie (Humour) and Faka'apa'apa (Respect) through the talanoa process - talanoa meaning to talk or to speak.

Here are a few ways I wove these elements into my approach:

• Sharing myself. I took with me a small photo album that contained photos of all my families - both in New Zealand and on Tanna. It was really important that I share who I was first, before I started making enquiries into the lives of the people that I had just met. This turned out to be a powerful tool for building trust and respect. Knowing your family connections, and where you sit in the intricate family web is an essential way of being on Tanna, so it was essential that I could demonstrate my own connection, as a way of building trust and respect.

• Humility. I was very intentional when deciding what clothes to wear, the way I spoke, and the tools I carried with me. I humbled myself by positioning myself as the learner - the teina in the tuakana/teina relationship. I learned the language and the daily tasks that needed to be done,  such as emptying the rubbish bins, collecting water, washing dishes and cleaning the kindy rooms. 

• Humour. Such an essential way of being in Ni-Vanuatu culture. I found ways to laugh about myself, and ensure that laughter was shared as often as possible.

• Listening. I talked less, and listened more, in order to understand another perspective. Suspending judgement, and avoiding the urge to fill a space with my own understandings. I questioning my own assumptions, and asked questions in order to learn more about what is hidden under the surface.

• Respect. I made a decision to put relationship first and not take photos of children and teachers until at least Day Three of my time volunteering in the Kindy. When I did eventually take the photos I asked permission, and I showed them the photos/video I had collected at the end of the day.  

• Sharing stories. As I made my way around the kindergartens in the South of Tanna, I decided that my method of choice would be to share stories. Sharing stories is a fundamental way of being on Tanna. Where ever you go, if you meet someone you know, the first thing you do is exchange stories - about your families, about your work, about your village, about many things. Sharing stories is how information is shared, it's how culture is kept alive, it's how family connections are kept strong. So, with this in mind, I asked the teachers if they could share, in their own words, a story with me (that I would capture on my iPad) about their kindy, the blessings, the challenges and what help they needed going into the future. I explained that with their permission I would share their story to try and get more support for the work that they do. They agreed, and as a result I collected the stories of ten kindergarten teachers. 

The stories the teachers shared are stories of struggle, of commitment, of service to the community, of frustration, and most importantly are stories of love for children. The teachers tell their stories with passion, conviction, and with hope for a better future.

I hope to share their stories in a way that promotes both empathy and awareness of the challenges that come with teaching in kindergarten in Vanuatu. I hope that by sharing them it will convey positive messages about the value of ECCE in Vanuatu. I hope these stories can be used to lobby for more support and more funding for what are the most formative years in the lives of our children. I hope by sharing their stories I will honour the efforts, commitment and heart that these teachers put into providing ECCE for children and the wider community. 

"Story doesn't try to grab power. Rather, it creates power because it connects" - Christal Earle