250 new chairs for Port Vila market vendors

August 29, 2024 3:51 am | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Clifton Kissel.

Vendors at the Central Market in Port Vila received 250 new white plastic chairs from the United Nations (UN) Women’s Markets for Change (M4C) project yesterday.

The UN Women’s M4C project, funded largely by the Australian Government, purchased 200 chairs, while the Department of Women’s Affairs in Vanuatu contributed an additional 50.

The chairs were delivered in response to a request made last year by the Silae Vanua Market Vendors Association to the M4C project.

Australian High Commissioner-designate Mr. Max Willis said the M4C project is a key part of the Economic Empowerment programme, aimed at making Vanuatu’s marketplaces safer, more inclusive, and supportive of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Vice President of the Silae Vanua Market Vendors Association, Mrs. Lewia John, thanked UN Women’s M4C, noting that the installation of CCTV cameras in the market is among the valuable contributions they have received.

“When I was notified about the chair delivery on Tuesday afternoon, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I almost burst into tears,” she said.

Mrs. John commented on the importance of fulfilling promises between her and the vendors to maintain trust and transparency, describing the joy she felt when the chairs arrived.

The Silae Vanua Market Vendors Association has decided to allocate 20 of these chairs to the Beverly Hills Ring Road Market as part of the UN Women’s M4C initiative.

Port Vila City Council’s (PVCC) Lady Mayor Jenny Regenvanu, along with Deputy Mayor Marie Louise Milne, attended the handover ceremony.

Lady Mayor Regenvanu thanked the UN Women’s M4C project and the Australian Government for their contribution. She said the vendors would be responsible for maintaining the chairs in good condition.