Why Vanuatu cannot wait any longer for the Child Protection Bill
Amid growing public concern over the President's recent pardoning of convicted rapists and the alarming increase in child abuse cases across Vanuatu, the need for stronger child protection laws has never been clearer.
Every day at the REACH Family Centre, Mansen and Salokie work alongside children experiencing challenges no child should face.
Some are struggling with overwhelming stress. Others are navigating violence at home, bullying, online harm and the fear of speaking out.
For Salokie Narfi, a counsellor and group work practitioner for children and adolescents, the hardest part is seeing how many suffer in silence.
"Children want to come for help, but they are scared of the consequences," she says. "Some are afraid their parents will find out. Others are afraid nobody will believe them."
Using drawing, play therapy and other child-friendly approaches, Salokie helps children express emotions they cannot find the words for. She remembers one child who repeatedly blacked out at school.
"Through counselling, the child understood the emotional pain carried," she says. "The mother also received counselling. Today that child is brighter, more confident and looking forward to the future."
But not every story has such a hopeful ending.
REACH Acting Executive Director Mansen Roy says many of the challenges children face are made worse by gaps in protection and understanding.
"Violence against children remains one of the biggest issues," he says.
"We should teach, guide and love children," he says. "Wrong treatment can create trauma that children carry for their whole lives, like a scar that never goes away."
The proposed Child Protection Bill offers an opportunity to change that.
Both Mansen and Salokie say the legislation would strengthen their work by creating a clearer approach for responding when children are at risk or serious harm, including sexual abuse. It would also help place children's wellbeing at the centre of decision-making.
"This Bill will support our work in the field," Mansen says. "The justice system punishes perpetrators, but what about the survivors? Children also need healing, psychological support and protection to move forward into the future."
Salokie says the law would also ensure serious cases of abuse are recognised early and responded to properly. "Children are the future of the country," she says. "If this Bill passes, we can build a stronger Vanuatu with children who are supported, protected and able to become the future leaders of our nation."
REACH is one of the few organisations in Vanuatu providing holistic support to entire families, working with mothers, fathers and children together because lasting change begins at home. Yet the demand for counselling and mental health support continues to grow, while resources remain limited.
Mansen believes passing the Child Protection Bill is no longer simply a legal decision – it is a moral one.
"Child protection affects everyone because every one of us was once a child," he says.
For the children who are too frightened to speak, and for those still carrying invisible scars, the time to act is now.
