Vanuatu - Blue Planet Odyssey visits Nebul Bay in Ambrym

Chief Johnson and his small community have been welcoming cruisers for many years. Nebul bay is the closest safe anchorage to Olal, where Cultural Festivals are held each year in July and August. Chief Johnson invited all BPO yachts to visit his community. We had a memorable B’day dinner organized in his house for one of the BPO cruisers… Since many of the BPO sailors are volunteer trained specialists in vision screening and members of the H.I.T. supporter team, we offered free eye testing to young and old. They lead all investigations to the best of their knowledge and belief. Participants are thus able to carry out visual acuity and autorefractor provisions under screenings conditions to children and adults. The project of H.I.T. Foundation: “SAVE CHILDREN’S SIGHT FOR A BETTER CHANCE IN LIFE” is able to detect visual defects of children, adolescents and young adults at an early stage. Approximately 20% of all children and young people have learning difficulties by undetected visual defects. Only if visual defects are detected and rectified early, children have good opportunities for learning, performance and a self-determined successful future. Some disclaimers: ˚ The H.I.T. vision screening is available, if there are no other or better options for vision correction onsite. ˚ The H.I.T. vision screening is as accurate as possible under the local circumstances. However, it does not measure up to the precise measurements taken and handled by an optician, optometrist or ophthalmologist in a professional environment! ˚ Therefore, neither the local examiner nor the H.I.T. Institute can be made liable for the results of the H.I.T. measurements and the effectiveness of the transferred eye-glasses. ˚ The final decision for participation in the H.I.T vision screening is made by the guardians/parents of the children and they are, therefore, fully responsible and not H.I.T. ˚ When there is no realistic possibility for an examination with an optometrist or at an eye clinic, there is a good chance that the H.I.T. vision screening program will detect visual defects and thus eye treatments can be applied in time. After the testing session, the BPO cruisers got the opportunity to see how kava was prepared and taste it! Most were a little apprehensive after the kava experience they had a few weeks earlier in Fiji (some had upset stomach) but after liking the taste, most went for a second roundJ Next morning, nobody felt ill and all reported a nice night sleep! Is that because Ambrym kava is some of the best?? I let you the judge! A special thank you to Chief Johnson for the nice welcome in the community. Filmed in August 2015.