WIVP discovers spear fishing, sunken volcanoes in the Marshall Islands
Debbie Lau, WG'07
Issue date: 9/25/06 Section: Insider
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On a fateful day in mid May, we set out for the Marshall Islands on a mission: to assist Waan Aelon in Majel (WAM), or 'Canoes of the Marshall Islands.' The goal of WAM is to train underprivileged youth in the traditional art of canoe building with the underlying objective of also providing them with training in life/employable skills. We were to develop a marketing plan for the NGO, a training plan for its students, and a micro-enterprise component for the curriculum.
Though there are no written accounts, it is believed that Micronesians settled on the Marshall Islands in the 2nd millennium BC, navigating through the Pacific Ocean on outrigger canoes using a wave based navigational system. We learned that outrigger canoes are a symbol of the Marshallese - representing both their technical excellence in constructing canoes and navigating the ocean, and the cultural traditions that are passed on from generation to generation.
We also learned about the tragic history of US involvement in the Marshall Islands. The US invaded the islands during WWII, and between 1946 and 1958 tested 67 nuclear weapons on the islands and its people. RMI became officially independent in 1990, but the complicated web of damage and dependency that the US had created had long taken its toll by then.
Still, when the WIVP team descended on the Marshall Islands, what I saw was a tropical paradise. We arrived at the Majuro atoll (an atoll is a low lying ring of land that marks the outskirts of a sunken volcano.) The sky was a deep, cloudless blue; the lagoon beckoned with its soft waves and golden sands as coconut trees swayed in the breeze.
When we got off the plane we also discovered how warm and friendly Marshallese people are. We were greeted with an enthusiastic "Yokwe," which literally means "you are a rainbow"!
Reality set in soon after, however, when we were brought to our accommodations: a backpacker hostel that doubled as a rowdy pub and disco, with no hot water but plenty of curious cockroaches! After a night of this, we decided - no more reason to act tough!
We relented and moved into the Marshall Islands Resort, conveniently located right next to our NGO - and did I mention on the beach? It ended up working out just fine, as there were spare rooms at the Resort and the Director of WAM knew the management team very well. Key takeaway: relationships go a long way in making things work in the RMI!
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