130 Matterhorn Drive Park City, Utah 84098 Phone: 435-513-5533 Fax: (801) 977-3999 E-mail: [email protected][email protected]www.project-marc.org Banem Bay Water Restoration Project Project MARC (Medical Assistance to Remote Communities) operates under the auspices of Globus Relief and pro- vides medical, educational and techni- cal support to outer island communi- ties in the Vanuatu archipelago. Our mission is to reach out to forgotten island communities by sharing our resources, time and love to help create a future for all children. Reaching out to Forgotten Island Communities About Project MARC Project MARC
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130 Matterhorn Drive Park City, Utah 84098 Phone: 435-513-5533 Fax: (801) 977-3999
... a South Pacific archipel-ago so remote that most peo-ple never heard of it, coastal communities so hard to reach that few vessels ever stop there, and mountain
villages so isolated that they don't show up on any maps! This is Vanuatu (the former New Hebrides). Now imagine being asked to help provide sustainable care to these "forgotten" communities…
Project MARC (Medical Assistance to Re-mote Communities) operates under the auspices of Globus Relief and provides medical, educational and infrastructure support to the outer island communities of the Vanuatu archipelago, many of which have had little or no outside support since the former Anglo-French colony be-came independent in 1980. As a result, much of the aging, colonial power genera-tion, transportation and telecom infrastruc-ture has collapsed.
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Discovery
Since it’s exploratory Vanu-atu voyage in 2000, Project MARC volunteer teams have operated in several target areas. Their intrepid medi-
cal, educational and technical teams, sup-ported by a flotilla of volunteer sailing ves-sels, can only reach these remote areas dur-ing the May thru October "dry season", when the incidence of tropical cyclones, rain storms, flooded rivers, impassable trails and malaria infections is at its lowest.
Improvements in Medicine
From 2001-2007, Project MARC worked closely with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health to improve the quality of life around the islands by establishing preventive and ur-gent medical and dental care facilities, early diagnosis and screening programs, and training of local village health workers and nurses. As a result, the people of Vanuatu have been able to receive the basic medical services every human being de-serves.
Looking Forward
Beginning in 2007, Project MARC shifted its focus to im-prove local infrastructure. One example is the Banem Bay Water Restoration Project. In 2001, a tropical storm de-stroyed the water system on the
island of Malekula. This system was the only source of clean water for over 600 people in seven remote villages. Project MARC began restoring the water system and repairing the damaged water cistern in 2007.
As the volunteer team sets sail in Summer 2008, their goal is to complete the water restoration project and undertake new tasks, such as providing books and materials for English classes and creating a viable business model to establish trading posts between villages and tourists.
With the support of generous donations, Project MARC can continue to work on pro-jects like these in order to help remote im-poverished communities become self-sufficient in the future.
