Melanie Jewson Foundation

Everyone has the right to access quality health and education. The Melanie Jewson Foundation is dedicated to advancing health and education in Vanuatu.

Established in 2012 following Melanie’s tragic passing, we continue the work she began as a passionate teenager with a needs-driven, partnership-based approach that is both respectful and ethical. Currently supporting Vanuatu National Hospital and education, the Melanie Jewson Foundation strives for a stable, sustainable and prosperous Vanuatu. Not only a tropical paradise, the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu faces severe structural impediments to sustainable development.

In 2020, Vanuatu became one of just six countries to graduate from a ‘Least Developed Country’ since the classification was created by the United Nations over 65 years ago. However 10% of the population still live in poverty, subsisting on less than AU$2.10 per day. Vanuatu is deservedly proud of the structural, social and economic progress achieved over this time, however the country remains under constant threat from economic and environmental disasters. As an island nation, climate change means that Vanuatu is facing increasing extreme weather events, and deals with an average of 2-3 natural disasters a year. The economic pressure from such disasters, compounded by external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, mean that Vanuatu’s fragile economic stability is in constant threat of being reversed. As over 40% of Vanuatu’s national budget comes from International Aid, continued support from development partners, such as the MJF, is paramount to ensure Vanuatu’s prosperity, and build national resilience to economic shocks.

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