MELANESIAN VANUATU

VANUATU is a chain of volcanic islands set in the exotic West South Pacific, between Fiji and New Caledonia. This ancient land is one of the few places on Earth where you can enter into a culture that goes back thousands of years and connect with the natural world. The people of Vanuatu are MELANESIANS, whose ancestrial traditions include custom medicine and tropical first aid to treat a wide range of aliments and troublesome skin conditions.

At Volcanic Earth, we believe that the country's greatest resource is the Ni Vanuatu people themselves with their fun-loving dispositions and kind, gentle natures – a big, friendly smile from just one of the local inhabitants is likely to brighten up your whole day. It's probably from breathing in all the natural Frangipani, Vanilla and Sandalwood in an environment virtually free from herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and carbon emissions! Unfortunately, this cheerful outward behaviour actually belies a culture poor in material wealth and high unemployment. Vanuatu is very much a developing nation and outside Port Vila and the larger establishments on the islands of Tanna and Santo, cash is not a common commodity. The subsistence farmers and fisher people are the poorest in terms of their disposable cash income but even in Port Vila, the basic wage per month is less than what most people in westernised countries earn in a week.

The production of Vanuatu Tamanu Oil in Vanuatu helps improve the livelihoods and standard of living of poor villages in the outer island of Vanuatu. The harvesting and collection of Tamanu Nuts (which fall naturally to the ground) involves thousands of indigenous Ni Vanuatu from many different villages and much needed income. There is little paid work on the outer islands and these local people would otherwise be very strapped for cash to pay for school fees, medical care and other basic necessities.

Life in these villages is hard. Villagers (usually women and children) often have to walk long distances, on a daily basis, to collect water. Living largely off the land (tending their gardens), these people live in a "custom economy" where they exchange goods in the absence of money. They manage but as you can imagine, they can't pay medical bills or schools fees with Taro or a woven mat. We all want our children to have an easier and better life. One of the keys to achieving this is to keep them healthy and educated - this takes money.

You can help, not by giving donations, but by spreading the word about our amazing Tamanu Oil to family and friends, who may be searching for a solution to some troublesome skin condition that modern medicine hasn't come up with yet.

Now, thanks to the generous support of AusAID through its innovative "Enterprise Challenge Fund" (ECF), Volcanic Earth is now able to expand its processing and production facilities, so as to meet overseas market demand for its products in the wholesale and retail sectors of the Australian (New Zealand and USA) health and beauty industry. The anticipated benefits of this ECF project also include livelihood opportunities for an estimated 900 or more Ni Vanuatu women who would otherwise be disadvantaged through poverty and unemployment. Numerous local, copra suppliers will also have a reliable market from the project’s virgin oil facility being established in Port Vila. Through the assistance provided by the ECF, Volcanic Earth will also be working more closely with village suppliers to not only increase supply of raw materials but to provide technical support for first stage processing by these suppliers. This value adding will increase their incomes and open up opportunities for related micro business opportunities. Another expected benefit of the ECF Project is additional employment opportunities within Volcanic Earth in the areas of manufacturing, packaging, processing, administration and management.

EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL. The coconuts are organically grown in Vanuatu and no artificial chemicals, additives or preservatives of any kind are used in its production. The production of Coconut Oil provides FAIR income for local families suppying coconuts and manpower.

VANUATU NGALI NUT OIL. Buy palm oil free beauty products and help save the orangutans. Instead of palm oil we use Vanuatu ngali oil in our beauty products.

The harvesting and selling of Ngali Nuts may protect the Tropical Rainforest from logging. Provide an alternative source of income for the Ni Vanuatu people and a brighter future for future generations.

INDIGENOUS NI VANUATU. Coming across indigenous Ni Vanuatu, living much the same as they always have, was an experience I'll never forget ....... men with their hunting bows, arrows and spears; women working hard in their gardens or around their traditional thatched housing; the young children happily running around naked or emerging from thick jungle brush to get a better glimpse of us as we passed by. The only concession to modern day life was the accasional pair of board shorts, a cotton lava lava or island dress.

The collection and harvesting of tamanu nuts by indigenous Ni Vanuatu can generate a small income for people who otherwise depend, almost entirely, on the custom economy (subsistence barter/exchange - non-cash). However, coming up with the cash money for annual school fees for their children is terribly difficult in these remote, outer island areas. In an effort to help change this, moves are afoot to supply solar driers and mechanical oil presses in the Banks Group of islands so they can move towards a sustainable enterprise by actually manufacturing Tamanu Oil, in a small commercial way.

Samuel Vangomo is an outstanding artist. The quality of his carvings is unsurpassed. Sam chooses only the best timber. Samuel's pieces are carved without the aid of any power tools and are highly polished (not vanished as with many other Ni Vanuatu carvers).  Through his carvings, Sam provides financially for himself and his family. In the same way, he also keeps the memory of his father alive through the preservation of traditional skills and custom rights attaching to the carving of tamtams and the namange.

The Tamtam (or split drum) is used by the chiefs in each community. They beat the drum to call or gather the villagers together whenever there’s any special occasion (eg. a death or marriage) or meeting.  Namange (is feminine) and is used for peace and unity. The Tamtam and Namange are used together or side by side.  You will find these two carvings in every Chief's Nakamal in Vanuatu.

Esperitu Santo, more commonly referred to as "Santo", is actually the largest island of the 83 islands that make up Vanuatu. Santo is renowned for its worldclass scuba diving and snorkeling. It's got the huge SS President Coolidge, (a luxury liner that was converted to a World War II troop ship, before being sunk in 1942), the USS Tucker ( a US destroyer that also sank in 1942), the renowned Million Dollar Point, Millinium Caves, Champagne Beach, Big Bay, natural rainforests and beautiful, secluded beaches.

BEAUTY PRODUCTS WITH TAMANU OIL

Click Here Pure Tamanu Oil

Click Here Organic Tamanu Oil Information

Click Here Tamanu Oil Information

Click Here Essential Ingredients Information