Cyclone Pam

On March 13^th 2015, the strongest Cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere hit Vanuatu. Cyclone Pam left 90% of Vanuatu destroyed in its wake. Paama was one of the most devastated islands of the archipelago, and today its people need a little help to rebuild their homes.

There are 83 islands in Vanuatu, and even if national and international help was quick to start rebuilding the country, reaching out to all 83 islands is a difficult task. Paama is one of these remotes islands which we choose to help rebuild and sustainably develop.

Reconstruction

Paamese people are hard-working and independent people who live from their garden, livestock farming, and fishing. Because they are self-suficient there is alomost no cash circulation on the island, which makes the acquisition and transport of building material particularly difficult. Our project therefore consist in supporting these costs.

Developing a sustainable economy

When taking part in this project you do not only give a home back to the victims of the natural disaster but you also allow the start of a sustainable economy, which will benefits the entire population of the island.

Indeed Paama is a forgotten gem of the Pacific: turquoise coral sea where dolphins, turtles, dugongs live in its turquoise waters, lush jungle (without a single dangerous animal, not even wasps !), without mentioning the kindness of its always smiling inhabitants. Paama is one of the rare paradisiac islands left unspoiled from mass tourism. It is in fact not rare to meet people, kids particularly, who have never met international travelers. The touristic potential of the island is outstanding, as long as it stays sustainable and under the control of Paamese people. Sam Abel, the official in charge of tourism on Paama, understands it well.

This project is therefore also about supporting a sustainable economy which will develop from eco-friendly tourism. Indeed, one of the homes we will rebuild will be used as a guesthouse to welcome visitors and tourists and provide them with a simple but comfortable stay up to any international traveler standards, in addition to rehousing families.

This guesthouse will be ideally located where the home of the Toka’s family once stood before Cyclone Pam shred it to pieces: in front of a private sand beach, with a coral reef 20meters from the shore, full of turtles, tropical fishes and stunning corals. The guesthouse will have a balcony with a sunset view on the sea, from where we can also see the neighboring island of Ambrym and its two active volcanoes which regularly set the sky aflame: far enough to be safe, close enough to be amazed by this fascinating show.

For more information and pictures on Paama, please visit our website:

http://www.visitpaama.wordpress.com

We are a small not-for-profit organization which means there are no running costs: all collected donations are exclusively used to rebuild homes on Paama. More precisely your donations allow us to buy building materials on the main island of Vanuatu and to support transporting costs of these materials by boat to Paama. There are no other building costs included as Paama is a very tight community, among which qualified construction workers will rebuild the homes.

Objective : 5,000 USD

When you take part of this project you do not only support the rebuilding of homes and thedevelopment of a sustainable economy, but, depending on the amount of your donation, you are also invited to come visit the island and stay at the place you will have helped rebuild. Paamese people and ourselves know for sure that a trip to Paama is a life-changing experience. We know that if you come to the islands you will become its ambassadors and will help it get the international attention it deserves by talking about it with your friends and family. Paamese people being aware of this, they offered to open their doors to you and share a slice of their paradise with you.

10€ and above:

the certitude to have participated to give a roof back to a family

and a warm thank you from the Paamese community

25€ and above:

a personalized thank you card with pictures of the island and its inhabitants

40€ and above:

a Paama T-shirt, all colors and size available

50€ and above:

a Paama T-shirt, all colors and size available

+

your name on the honorary plaque to be sealed on the wall of the home you will have helped rebuild

70€ and above:

2 x Paama T-shirts for yourself and/or to offer

(they make great Christmas gifts !)

+

your name on the honorary plaque

100€ and above:

3 x Paama T-shirts

+

your name on the honorary plaque

250€ and above:

6 x Paama T-shirts

+

your name on the honorary plaque

+

3 touristic activities on Paama

(jungle hike, guided snorkeling trip, dolphin encounter, fishing, traditional canoe excursion, guided cultural tours, etc.)

500€ and above:

you are invited to spend a week on Paama, and stay at the beach house you will have helped rebuild:

sea view, private sand beach, coral sea full of turtles, tropical fishes and dolphins.

650€ and above:

stay a week on Paama at the beach house you will have helped rebuild

+

all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) included.

800€ and above:

stay a week on Paama at the beach house you will have helped rebuild

+

all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) included

+

3 touristic activities on Paama

(jungle hike, guided snorkeling trip, dolphin encounter, fishing, traditional canoe excursion, guided cultural tours, etc.)

1,000€ and above:

stay a week on Paama at the beach house you will have helped rebuild

+

all meals included

+

3 touristic activities on Paama

FOR 2 PERSONS

2,500€ and above:

stay a week on Paama at the beach house you will have helped rebuild

+

all meals included

+

UNLIMITED touristic activities on Paama

FOR 3 PERSONS

5,000€ and above:

stay a week on Paama at the beach house you will have helped rebuild

+

all meals included

+

UNLIMITED touristic activities on Paama

FOR 4 PERSONS

+

4 internal flights from Port-Vila to Paama

We are regularly in contact with families from the island, particularly with Sam Abel, in charge of the Island touristic development, and with the Toka family, whose house has been destroyed. ​

Paamese people keep telling us that they are looking forward to welcome you with open arms and share their culture with you and the world !

The goal of this campaign is therefore three-folded: rehouse victims of Cyclone Pam, build a place to comfortably host international visitors, and invite contributors of this project to discover this heavenly South Pacific Island which would eventually help develop a sustainable economic activity. 

Lucie and Simon, founders of the not-for-profit organization Little Stones, created to support this project. Lucie is a biologist, Simon is a linguist, it is our two passions who brought us to Vanuatu in 2014. Lucie took part of a wildlife conservation project and helped setting up marine protected areas ; Simon documented the endangered Paamese language. Paamese people welcomed us with open arms and everlasting smiles on their little paradisiac island.

Most families who opened their doors to us have lost their homes after Cyclone Pam. It seemed like the right thing to do to both give them a little push and invite people all over the world to come discover one of the last paradisiac place on earth preserved from mass tourism.

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