Hilary Clinton’s Efforts Pale Into Insignificance
The First Lady persona was ditched when Hilary Clinton recently decided to reinvent herself as a tough beer loving heroine of the working classes. However, Hillary’s efforts pale into insignificance in the face of a would be politician in.
A world away, in the South Pacific, another woman also a politician, made her entry into the male dominated arena of politics.Jenny Ligo from the island of Ambae in Vanuatu, one of the tropical islands in the nation of the South Pacific.
Jenny made headlines last year when she ceremonially killed pigs at her wedding, with a club, as custom laws demand. Dressed in a woven mat and custom grass skirt, Jenny is once again wielding the ceremonial club.
Jenny becomes only the second woman to achieve a high ranking Chieftain title. This is no small achievement, in an ancient society where the dominant male fist of authority has ruled uncontested for centuries.
For most woman motherhood comes through the grueling task of childbirth. For Jenny, motherhood came through ceremonially clubbing to death 11 pigs, when Chief Paul Tahi declared her as the ‘Mother of the Nation.’
Most city dwellers would be unaware of the death defying, ear splitting noise one little pig can make, in the face of impending danger. Let alone 11, warning all other pigs for miles around. While both Hillary and Jenny have huge issues to cope with in the political arena, Jenny has an added burden through custom magic.
Over 100 years ago a young priest was shot and killed in Jenny’s home territory, causing a curse to be cast on the northern part of the island. “The curse has stopped any forward development in the area,” says the local people. Late last year, Bishop James Ligo, reconciled the descendants of the murdered priest and the local people. “Now the island can finally begin to progress forward.”
“I am not a woman who sits and waits to be served. I am a leader and I mean business when I say I am going to reach out to the people,” said Jenny Ligo.
Jenny follows the brave example of her aunt, Grace Molisa, who was a women’s rights’ activist. Grace Molisa rose through the ranks to become the first woman Private Secretary to the nation’s first Prime Minister after independent, Prime Minister Father Walter Lini.
It is believed that jenny will take her Chiefly role serious when it comes to the education of the children of Vanuatu. May this anonymous quote not be the symbol of Vanuatu in the years to come. ‘Another jail has to be built where there is no school.’
Education is not free in Vanuatu a lesser developed country, and a low cash in economy, schooling is very low on the priority list. These stats have changed little since 1998:
#Only 55.8% of kids will get to year 6;
#Only 18.2 % will go to high school;
#26% never go to school at all.
You can assist the next generation of Jenny Ligos to become educated, through a Blue Moon Opportunity. A Child Trust Fund has been privately funded to give children from the Outer Islands non-repayable education grants for high school. The first students will enter this program in January 2009.
Jenny Ligo will become involved in this scheme, so children will be given the opportunity to understand not only the ancient custom ways, but also embrace the modern beneficial ways of the 21st century.
The only lasting way to bring about real change is when that change is brought about internally, through education.
About the Author: Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEOs of YouMe Support Foundation, providing non-repayable high school education grants for children who will never have the opportunity to have an education without outside assistance.
This is once in a life time Blue Moon Opportunity for someone to own their own private holiday home, plus 6 luxury holiday units, while assisting these children to gain an education. Check it out at:
http://winaresort.com
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