27 Aug 2015

Six community centres to be built in Vanuatu's Shefa

7:48 am on 27 August 2015

The United Nations Development Programme is delivering building materials for the construction of six community centres in six islands of Vanuatu's Tongoa and Shepherds Group of islands in Shefa Province.

Damage by Cyclone Pam in remote parts of Vanuatu.

Damage by Cyclone Pam in remote parts of Vanuatu. Photo: RNZ / Shaun O'Callaghan

It is part of the UNDP's reconstruction programme following the devastation of 22 islands by Cyclone Pam last March.

National Coordinator of the UNDP Project, Russel Tamata says the UNDP Office is working closely with the Department of Public Works and custom chiefs of the islands to construct the buildings.

Mr Tamata says both the standard of the buildings and carpenters are provided by the Public Works while the chiefs and their people on each island provide manpower and labour to complete the buildings.

He says one of the advantages of the buildings is that they can also be used as evacuation centres in times of cyclone.