From Kava to Cookies: Youth Entrepreneurs Leading Change in Vanuatu

By Joanna Wari, Area Administrator, Local Conservation Specialist, Youth Coordinator, and Entrepreneur, Vanuatu and Rony Barang, Kava Farmer, Taxi Driver, and Entrepreneur, Vanuatu

Kava Leaves. Source: Getty Images

We come from different parts of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world. With limited digital access, unreliable roads and transport, and no electricity in many areas, starting and sustaining a business here takes more than courage. It takes purpose, persistence, and a deep connection to our land and people.

We wear multiple hats as members of the community. While our paths aren’t the same, we share one goal which is to build something better, not only for ourselves, but also for our communities. We share this story together to reflect on our journeys and to speak to every young person across Vanuatu and the Pacific who wonders if they can do more with what they have.

Rony Barang. Source: YECAP

Rony: Kava

My life changed after choosing my own path and starting my business venture. I realized I had the power to change when I joined the church programme. I started my first kava garden in 2019 and harvested crops in 2021. Kava is a traditional plant widely consumed across Vanuatu and the Pacific for its calming effects, and it plays a central role in ceremonies and community life, making it both culturally significant and a key source of income. That led me to use my kava earnings to open a small store in 2021. 

Later, I started driving a taxi and raising livestock. Now, I manage my store and kava garden and hire others to help. I’ve developed my own financial management system where I use earnings from driving to support day-to-day living and operational costs and use store profits to build my house and invest in farming animals like pigs and cows.

Entrepreneurship gave me a chance. But here on Pentecost, the road isn’t easy. We face strong cultural pressures like giving up livestock for custom ceremonies and even fear of witchcraft because of jealousy, making some youth afraid to start a business. There’s little formal support or training. Still, I believe the biggest change starts with mindset. Sustainable development shouldn’t change our environment but change the way we think and act.

When electricity from renewable energy arrives, namely the new hydropower project, I hope to start a small fish business and guesthouse. With power, I can refrigerate fresh catch and support others by buying fish from local youth. A green economy here starts with ideas that work for our people.

Community Consultations on the Importance of Conserving Natural Resources in Bay Barrier Community, Southeast Pentecost. Source: Island Bliss Photography

Joanna: Cookies

I studied Applied Science and Commerce in New Zealand, but my heart never left Pentecost. I’ve graduated from university and come back to work in my home island because I see the need for development here. What we need now is for our young people to be pushed further in their capabilities so they can do something better for the community.

My business, ‘Jo’s Creative Delights’, started from a passion for baking. Today, I sell cakes, cupcakes, and cookies in locally woven baskets, supporting women weavers while growing a business that has demand from customers in bigger markets such as Port Vila and Santo.

For me, entrepreneurship is about creating value chains that work for everyone, whether it's local cassava farmers, women artisans, or customers seeking homemade products. But like Rony, I’ve seen the systemic gaps where young people often lack business skills, mentorship, and recognition. Too many projects are short-term and urban-focused. Rural youth like us are often left out.

Freshly baked cookies by Joanna. Source: Jo's Creative Delights

That’s why I co-founded ‘Learn to Serve Pentecost’ youth organization to give youth, including those who dropped out of school or returned home, an opportunity to engage in community projects such as tree planting, climate awareness, and savings groups. We’re now planning to launch small loans for youth businesses.

I helped facilitate workshops supported by the UNDP Vanuatu Green Energy Transformation Project (VGET) and the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP), where our youth gain confidence and tools to start their own ventures. Youth participants learned how to start their own businesses, identify opportunities matching local context, create green jobs, and start careers that bring innovation into their communities.

A Shared Vision for Vanuatuan Youth

From cassava to cookies, kava to a shop with cold storage, our stories show that young people in rural areas are already driving change. What we need now is solid infrastructure, digital access, and entrepreneurship support that meets us where we are. Sustainable development shouldn’t be something that arrives from outside and disappears after a cyclone. It should be rooted, inclusive, and co-created with the communities it aims to uplift.

Joanna with the Learn to Serve Pentecost Youth giving out awareness on Savings and Loans Project in Ranwas Community. Source: Island Bliss Photography

The upcoming Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Study, led by VGET and YECAP, will help shed light on our lived realities, and offer important recommendations on strengthening policies and partnerships to help us achieve a better future, powered by clean energy. We're proud to be part of that conversation and research.

Initiatives like VGET and YECAP have helped pave the way for young people. Through Movers workshops and youth dialogues, we’ve connected with other changemakers, gained green skills, and found the motivation to lead. These programmes have shown us that youth can shape solutions that matter, whether it’s through local conservation, sustainable baking, or transforming earnings from kava into community investment.

We believe youth are the frontliners of change. When we invest in our ideas, return home after studies, and support one another, we build a stronger, greener, more resilient Vanuatu. To every young person across the Pacific wondering if their small idea matters: yes, it does. And with the right network and long-term support, youth can grow environmentally friendly projects with lasting impact. 

The Vanuatu Green Energy Transition Project (VGET) is a part of the Pacific Green Transformation Project (Pacific GX) under UNDP’s Climate Promise and funded by the Government of Japan. The project supports Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu in transitioning to renewable energy and green growth. In collaboration with the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP), a regional youth-led platform supported by Sweden and Pacific GX, this initiative highlights how young people across the Pacific are leading the green transition. Pacific GX and YECAP are working together to equip youth with the skills, platforms, and resources they need to drive impactful climate action.

This article was originally published on UNDP Pacific Office here.