Children; Youth; Traditional dress; Dance; Celebrations
Niueans love their fiafias (parties, celebrations.) The kids from my village, Avatele, are dressed here for their dance performance for a village celebration. I think this particular one was celebrating the accomplishments of 2 Avatele villagers-...
This photo was taken in March 2011 at the Talumalu Market. Talumalu is a very big market and the center of things on Saturdays when everyone is doing their shopping. Mostly vegetables and produce of all kinds, but also available are Tongan...
This photo was taken in January 2013. My friend and I helped create a world map at my primary school, and the local community members and children loved to sit and watch us while we drew out the individual countries. Some were even brave enough to...
I took this photo at the end of a week-long workshop on HIV/AIDS for Village Health Workers in Vanuatu. Throughout the week we trained VHW's in HIV/AIDS knowledge and in tools and resources they could use for simple, effective awareness and...
The women of the village Nereingman, Mota Lava, presented a custom dance during a cultural celebration. Unfortunately, the dance had to take place inside the village meeting house when it started raining. The leader of the group's name is Marian,...
In this photo the wives of FES staff and work crew helped to plant yams in ITTA plot. Yams are one of the staple foods in the Solomon Islanders' diet. Yams are roasted over an open fire, baked in the traditional stone oven, cooked in pot with...
Women from a small village on the island of 'Eua spend the day painting tapa cloth. These cloths can be up to 50 feet long and are made from the bark of a tree. The cloths, once finished are given as gifts at many events, such as weddings,...
Although I lived on an island in the South Pacific it was a two hour walk to the ocean. was not the main staple for a man living in the bush, wild pig was. Starting at a young age, men and boys partake in the hunt for wild pig. Here are four...
This photograph was taken on the island of Manono in Western Samoa in 1975, during my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer (1974-1977) in that country. My host family lived on Manono and I would try to visit them whenever I was able to get away, and...
A Fijian family lives below me. They have two young sons, and there is another boy the age of their sons that lives next door. When I am outside doing laundry or reading in my hammock they'll come bug me, its kind of silly because they speak little...
Each week at the local dispensary we have maternal and child health day where, moms bring in their infants and babies to be weighed, update immunizations, and make sure their baby is developing normally. This photo was taken of me at one of these...
Each week at the local dispensary, we have maternal and child health day, where moms bring in their infants and babies to be weighed, update immunizations and make sure their baby is developing normally. This photo was taken of me at one of these...
Each week at the local dispensary, we have maternal and child health day where moms bring in their infants and babies to be weighed, update immunizations and make sure their baby is developing normally. This photo was taken of me at one of these...
Weaving is a big part of a woman's life in Vanuatu. This is a photo of me learning how to weave mats from dried pandanus leaves with my host aunt Monique.
Weaving is a big part of a woman's life in Vanuatu. This is a photo of me learning how to weave mats from dried pandanus leaves with my host aunt Monique.
Weaving of all kinds is a favorite (and traditional) activity in Vanuatu; each island claims a particular style or specialty in weaving. Here, my friend Edna is teaching me how to weave a basket in the style of the island Futuna. It was taken on...
A favorite activity of Volunteers in-country was the waterfall hike at Lalo Talie led by Olsen. The hike took us up the river and past (or over) 13 waterfalls. Faleaseela, Samoa. 2008.
A favorite activity of Volunteers in country was the waterfall hike at Lalo Talie led by Olsen. The hike took us up the river and past (or over) 13 waterfalls. Faleaseela, Samoa. 2008.
This photo was taken in Alafua, Samoa in 2005. This is the rugby team for St Joseph’s College. David would have loved to have been a rugby player, but unfortunately he was about 150 lbs too small, so he became a very enthusiastic water boy for...
Two women seek out the shade during day one of a funeral in Pohnpei, FSM. Beside them are the several gallons of water there for the mourners, also seeking some coolness. May, 2010.