The Pacific Islands are well known for their root crops, traditional meals and customary cooking styles. In this unique part of the world, food is often prepared by digging a hole in the ground and burying raw natural crops and meat or fish with hot stones to create an ‘earth oven’. This style of cooking has provided an organic and healthy diet for many generations. However, traditions are changing, and modern development has had a major impact on health in the region.

The Pacific Community (SPC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji through the Wake Up! Project are launching a graphic design contest for youth from the Pacific to raise awareness on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors.

Young people between 18 to 30 years old from the Pacific are eligible to enter the competition, which is co-funded by the Pacific Fund, SPC and UNDP. Winners will receive training in street art (graffiti or mural painting) and work with professional graffiti artists to produce their own mural paintings.

Photo: Dave Hebblethwaite, SPC

The Pacific Community (SPC) and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji are inviting youth in participating Pacific countries and territories to develop and submit proposals for video projects designed to sensitize the youth population on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors.