WHERE OUR HEART LIES

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

OUR MISSION

To always operate respectfully and within the cultural boundaries.

To support community driven projects in the small regional communities, accessible by our visiting yachts.

To empower communities through sustainable incentives initiated by them.

To assist, where invited, with development in-line with globally changing cultural and political landscapes.

OUR CORE VALUES

CULTURAL INTEGRITY

SOVEREIGNTY

GENDER EQUALITY

SUSTAINABILTY

OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS

Are we operating in culturally appropriate manner ?
Are we promoting autonomy for the indigenous stakeholders and communities?
Are we ensuring fair and attainable gender representation implementation?
Are the above mentioned delivered with a long term vision?

OUR PROJECTS

GASMATA, NOVEMBER 2020

Our founder Ange and her team embarked on an expedition to the small coastal village of Gasmata, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The goal of this expedition was to engage with and build relationships with the local villagers of Gasmata, whilst also providing education on basic hygiene practices and providing medical aid in collaboration with the West New Britain Provincial Health Authority.

Gasmata Expedition

In October 2020 our founder Ange and her team embarked on an expedition to the small coastal village of Gasmata, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

The goal of this expedition was to engage with and build relationships with the local villagers of Gasmata, whilst also providing education on basic hygiene practices and providing medical aid in collaboration with the West New Britain Provincial Health Authority.

Paramedic Connor providing first aid

Medical Aid

Throughout the two-week expedition, the team managed to visit a total of nine villages, acting as a mobile wound clinic to treat villagers who were suffering from various medical ailments. Tropical ulcers and yaws, a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints, were some of the most common ailments treated. During their expedition, the team managed to treat a total of 275 patients, whilst also managing a widespread scabies outbreak.

Education

Education was also a major point of focus for this expedition, where the team selected one local girl to shadow and assist them with medical aid, providing her with training and education. Many educational discussions were held with the villagers, centred around sanitation and hygiene practices and its role in preventing future illnesses and disease.

Community Sports

The team also engaged local youth to participate in community sports programs. The goal of these programs was to establish strong relationships with the community youth, specifically deterring young men from “trouble”, engaging young women to participate, and to promote health, team building, community spirit and pride.

In addition to donating soccer balls, volleyballs, nets and pumps, the team hosted daily soccer and volleyball workshops, as well as daily fitness and boxing sessions. In total, the team trained for thirteen days and engaged 230 young men and 30 young women.

Findings

90% of patients…

…treated were children, with most communities lacking a basic understanding of sanitation and personal hygiene practices. Sanitation was also a major issue, where very little rainwater is collected in homes and community buildings for toilet use and drinking water.

80% of locals…

…asked our founder, Ange to deliver 30-minute sessions on community education to address the noted health issues. Mothers in particular were primarily interested and discussed their concerns on issues such as high rates of unwanted pregnancies and a lack of medical assistance for pregnant women.

Observations

The sporting workshops determined that sports is a high priority within the community, where locals currently partake in a weekly Community Sports competition. Women also showed a keen interest in more sporting attention, whilst soccer training proved paramount in strengthening relationships with young men in the community.

Overall, the expedition was a successful one and provided the team with valuable insights into the current social issues within Papua New Guinean communities. It also provided feedback as to how these issues can be addressed in order to improve the community’s wellbeing as a whole.

SEA WOMEN OF MELANESIA

Melanesian Luxury Yachts are proud partners of Sea Women of Melanesia.
SWOM is a program that is designed to educate and empower women through education in marine science and scuba diving. These skills allow them to play an active role in creating and monitoring marine protected areas on their traditional own coral reefs.

This program supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Gender Equality, Sustainable Communities, Climate Action, and Life Below Water.

Melanesian Luxury Yachts donates $150 from each of our expeditions to to Sea Women of Melanesia.

For more information about the program, visit the Coral Sea Foundation website here.

eXXpedition

“eXXpedition is a not-for-profit organisation that runs pioneering all-female sailing research expeditions to investigate the causes of and solutions to ocean plastic pollution.” - eXXpedition

Cairns local and environmental engineer, Eva Wrhovina was due to set sail as a crew member on the Fiji to Vanuatu voyage this year, which was unfortunately postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19. This research expedition will see the crew collaborating with local organisations to investigate plastic pollution from Fiji to Vanuatu.

Check out these articles for more information about eXXpedition’s fight against plastic pollution;

eXXpedition In The Press
Forbes: SAP Partners with Ocean Activist
euronews: Meet the 300 Women Sailing the Seas to Fight Plastic Pollution
Hit: Be Inspired by These Amazing Local Women!

You can support Eva and her team on achieving their next voyage by contributing to her fundraiser here.

NUSA ISLAND
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Inaugural Cleanup

Keeping it clean! Every Friday the students of Nusa Island Elementary School work hard to keep the island clean by participating in the inaugural Nusa Island cleanup. A wonderful initiative run by Kurt Diercke, Manager of Nusa Island Retreat, sees students and locals picking up litter to keep their home beautiful.

We were proud to be part of this community project when visiting Nusa Island and look forward to more to come! Keep up the great work!

Nusa Island Elementary School Cleanup

FIRST AID SUPPLIES & DIVING MASKS

Funded by charter guest onboard S/Y Hemisphere. These items were distributed whilst cruising.

The medical supplies delivered to twenty to Aid Posts.

The dive masks to cray-fisherman of Lavongai district.

Melanesian Luxury Yachts would like to say a massive thank you to Charles Makray from First Response Training Cairns for his contributions, providing first aid supplies and equipment for the local Papua New Guinea community; and a massive thank you to Perry Jones at Ocean Free for providing the dive masks!

COMMUNITY HALL CONSTRUCTION

Melanesian Luxury Yachts x Clem’s Place x Canterbury Bulldogs | November, 2019

Melanesian Luxury Yachts are proud to have been a part of this wonderful collaboration to build schools and community centres in regional New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Utilising joint resources, we were able to purchase building supplies required to complete the construction project.

From the Canterbury Bulldogs, Jayden Okunbor, Jack Cogger, Corey Payne, Reni Maitua, Corey Hughes and Daniel Holdsworth, as well as Cronulla Sharks players Sione Katoa and Ronaldo Mulitalo, visited PNG for a week to give a helping hand. Read about their visit in Jayden Okunbor’s article via Athlete’s Voice. You can also read an article about their visit by the Canterbury Bulldogs here.

We would like to send a huge thank you out to Clement Anton, of Clem’s Place: Surf and Adventure Lodge, for his ongoing initiative and drive to design and execute the projects.

A huge shout out also goes to yacht M/Y Endless Summer for their continued generosity whilst visiting the Melanesia region.

Canterbury Bulldogs | New Ireland, PNG

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO

The Superyacht Gathering announce guest speaker Angela Pennefather

September 2021 | The Superyacht Gathering

READ MORE
Meet the 300 women sailing the seas to fight plastic pollution

February, 2020 | Doloresz Katanich | eurone

READ MORE
Interview with SuperYacht Radio. Angela Pennyfather, Malamesian Luxury Yacht Services.

June, 2019 | SuperYacht Radio | Spotify

READ MORE
The Coral Sea Foundation launches the PNG Marine Conservation Initiative 2020

December 2019 | Ocean Magazine

READ MORE
The Great Barrier Reef Region showcases at Monaco Yacht Show 2019

October 8, 2019 | Superyacht Great Barrier Reef

READ MORE
Sustainable superyachting in Melanesia. Culturally-sensitive superyacht visits

June 11, 2018 | Rachel Rowney | SuperyachtNews

READ MORE
EYOS appoints Melanesian Representative and Expedition Coordinator

February 25, 2015 | Ben Lyons | EYOS Expeditions

READ MORE