I want to introduce you to Leisong who is a lovely Ni-Van (local Vanuatu resident) from Mangaliliu village (closest village 800 metres to Divi’s). Leisong came with the house we are renting from our neighbour Bob. Leisong is our “house lady”. Hate the term, but that is the way her role is described.

Leisong has separated from her husband, who moved on and remarried. Leisong has two children, Bruce and Presley. Bruce is married to Filima, with two beautiful kids. Darleen employed Bruce back in May to assist with our new chain saw and clearing on the block.

Bruce is part of the Thomas Bros family, as is Leisong. This meets an important condition of our land lease: that we offer jobs first to the Thomas Bros family, then Ni-Vans from the village. Only if a role cannot be filled by a Ni-Van from the Thomas Bros family or the Mangaliliu village, can we employ a Ni-Van from outside the area.

Chief Mangaliliu

The gentleman in this photo is Chief Mormor from Mangaliliu village. He is 36 and was sworn in as the new chief earlier this year. He has known from a very young age that he was going to be the village Chief at Mangaliliu.

We met with the Chief to discuss our development, and why we employed an outside builder. We wanted to explain we didn’t have building experience like our neighbours Bob and Alan who employed Ni-Vans from the village for their construction. But as soon as the building construction was finished, and the business ready to open, we would be in a position to employ Ni-Vans from the village for many years to come.

Throughout the discussion he was very quiet and measured, but appeared to take in what we saying, and what we are trying to achieve. He came across as on-board with our Divi’s concept.

Love living at Mangaliliu in Vanuatu.

From paradise … Scott