Field Lessons from Pentecost: Vanuatu’s Youth and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

By Suvimali Suraweera, Youth Empowerment Portfolio Management and Research Coordinator, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub

December 4, 2025

Vanuatu was "blue, green, and beautiful", says the author, pictured centre.

Photo: Supplied.

My weeks in Vanuatu went by in a flash. Looking back, the views and experiences never failed to amaze me, and Pentecost Island grew on me.

Vanuatu was blue, green, and beautiful. From a bird’s eye view through the plane window, Rebecca Borugu from the Department of Youth and Sports (DOYS) and I saw Pentecost Island, a lush, green, mountainous land surrounded by ocean so blue.

This marked the beginning of a joint mission rooted in partnership.

What truly made Pentecost unforgettable was its people. From our accommodation hosts and drivers to the project team, engineers, workers, communities we visited, young people, and community leaders we talked to. Their warmth, stories, and spirit made every moment meaningful.

For nearly two weeks, Rebecca and I journeyed across Pentecost all day every day with colleagues from the DOYS, meeting youth, entrepreneurs, chiefs, Area Administrators, women’s groups, school teachers, and community leaders. We co-organized workshops, conducted interviews, and immersed ourselves in island life to better understand what development looks like from the perspective of young people in one of the most climate-vulnerable, remote places in the world.

This blog shares my reflections from the field, while we were working on the Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Study, supported by the UNDP Vanuatu Green Energy Transformation Project (VGET), part of the Government of Japan funded Pacific Green Transformation Project, and the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP).

A Field Researcher’s Reality

Development in Vanuatu is anything but straightforward. The topography disperses across 83 islands. The cost of transport is high, especially in reaching remote islands, where subsistence is norm and entrepreneurship is novel. In some outer islands like Pentecost, many locations have no electricity other than small solar panels utilized for solar-powered lamps and phone charging. This limits youth entrepreneurship opportunities that require digital access, cold storage, or extended working hours. Rain can disrupt inland travel via roads or sea for days, restricting both learning and livelihood activities.

A planned field day may require hiking up a hill, visiting the waterfall site of a pico-hydro power plant, or boarding a truck on rough terrain. In the evenings, we sorted notes, arranged interviews, coordinated logistics, and translated materials, all while navigating patchy Wi-Fi. Interviews and survey dissemination happened on the go: in markets, on boats, in Nakamals (village meeting houses), roadside shops, under trees, and even on the beach. Being flexible, present, and curious helped open new doors, especially when paired with kava and a shared meal.

One day, the village Tamtam (slit drum) was played to gather the community. We sat together in a Nakamal where stories and research were shared in Bislama. These moments weren’t only about data collection, but they were also about building trust and co-creating knowledge with the people who live this reality every day.

What Development Looks Like in Pentecost

During this mission, we asked youths, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and stakeholders: What does development look like in Pentecost?

The answers were both surprising and revealing. Unlike urban centres, development here is about access to clean water, transport, skills training, safe spaces, and inspiration. For most young people, success is measured by the ability to provide for their families, contribute to their community, and live in harmony with the land.

Many young people we spoke to have smartphones, but their Internet use is limited. Career aspirations are shaped by seasonal worker programmes in Australia and New Zealand. In some areas, the youth today are described as having “more free time and fewer responsibilities” than previous generations, leading to rising concerns about their social well-being and future prospects. Yet, amid these challenges, there’s also a search for purpose and possibility.

A Canvas with Endless Possibilities

Vanuatu, 40 years post-independence, is still navigating the legacy of British and French colonialism. There’s little structured support for youth who return from studies or seasonal work to their home islands.

That said, its low population of 320,000 islanders, strong communal culture, and deep environmental roots offer a chance to shape development differently, perhaps even more inclusively and sustainably. Pentecost is like a canvas with endless possibilities.

Entrepreneurship is still an emerging concept. Most youth don’t see themselves as entrepreneurs, but many are already growing crops, running small shops, weaving mats, or offering transport services. What they need is recognition, encouragement, and support systems that reflect their realities.

Initial Observation on the Study

Our fieldwork used a mixed-methods approach including surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews.

What I initially observed was that youth have strong entrepreneurial aspirations. They are eager to blend tradition and innovation if given access to markets, mentorship, and climate-resilient infrastructure. But the lack of training, mentorship, and finance support keep their ventures small and vulnerable.

Education and finance systems are not yet enabling youth entrepreneurship, pointing at the need for more practical training and community‑based support models. These findings, and many more, will inform the Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Study, set to be launched later this year.

The Power of Partnerships

A highlight of the mission was the partnership with the Department of Youth and Sports Development. We co-facilitated youth dialogues and Movers workshops in Bislama, where youth discussed green jobs, entrepreneurship, and climate action.

These workshops became safe spaces for youth to share their voices. Facilitators led the sessions in the local context that participants could easily relate to. For many youths, it was the first time they were asked: What do you want to do in your community?

Youth shared ideas such as a one-stop shop to meet daily needs, poultry business, and youth-led eco-tourism initiatives, including tours and bungalows. Officials from the DOYS were so inspired by the engagement that they now plan to replicate these workshops across other islands.

Closing Reflections

‘Same same, but different’ is a frequently used phrase in Vanuatu. Pentecost may resemble some rural areas in the Asia-Pacific region, but its starting point is different. In many ways, that’s an advantage. Vanuatu can thrive with the right support, partnerships, and understanding of what works well locally.

Making things happen here isn’t easy, but it’s meaningful. It starts with trust, time, and showing up with an open heart.

As the village Tamtam rang and people gathered in their Nakamals and Area Administrators’ offices for discussions and workshops, we saw the potential of Vanuatu’s youth firsthand. They are close to the solutions. We just have to meet them where they are.

The mission reaffirmed that lasting solutions in remote areas like Pentecost require relationships as much as technology. The partnership approach between DOYS and UNDP proved to be one of the meaningful ways to ensure that green energy, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment are ideas and realities shaped by and for the communities they aim to serve.

The Vanuatu Green Energy Transition Project (VGET) is a part of the Pacific Green Transformation Project (Pacific GX) under UNDP’s Climate Promise and funded by the Government of Japan. The project supports Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu in transitioning to renewable energy and green growth. In collaboration with the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP), a regional youth-led platform supported by Sweden and Pacific GX, this initiative highlights how young people across the Pacific are leading the green transition. Pacific GX and YECAP are working together to equip youth with the skills, platforms, and resources they need to drive impactful climate action.