Gifts for ni Vanuatu children

We are visiting Vanuatu soon and would like to take over some small items that may be helpful for ni vanuatu children. I was thinking of pencils, balls, pre loved toys etc but suggestions would be welcome. Would it be safe to take such items to one of the squatter colonies in Vila?

I've been around several squatter colonies in Vila, albeit accompanied by Ni-Vanuatu people who lived there or had friends there. Always felt very safe, and the people as friendly as anywhere else in the country. Possibly don't go out to Freshwater 4 though. I never went there but it is notorious as the worst area in Port Vila.

I've spent a lot of time travelling in developing countries and have learnt through my time in villages and small towns that taking gifts for children really creates a cargo cult mentality. More importantly parents have told us that they are unhappy with such gift giving. If you do wish to provide something speak to the local teacher or the senior people in the village and ask what they would find most useful. I did so when on an 8 day sea kayaking expedition in Fiji. The local teacher had need of books at a particular level - I bought these when I returned home and sent them to her.

To give you an idea of negative impact of gifts here are just some incidents I observed:

1979 Nepal talking with perfectly nice kids in a village. Tour bus appears children run shrieking to the bus yelling - sweets, school pens. Tourists hand out stuff, tour bus disappears and the kids trade their various gifts.

1987 Vietnam - adults in a village where we stayed were concerned about gifts given to their children - and more concerned about tooth decay in an area where dentists are just about non existent.

2001 Peru - children in village show us their stash of school pens that they use to trade. One kid had about 30 pens.

Although I say this - something like balls would be nice. When we stay in villages we spend a lot of time playing with kids. Also my husband is musical and if music and singing is something that a village does he asks adults or kids to teach him local tunes or songs.

I guess what I am suggesting here is to consider the dignity of the people.

I've also spent a lot of time traveling in developing countries, staying in poor or rural villages and with tribal communities. What Kalki says is true in many ways but I think it really depends on the presents you give. Obviously, giving out big flashy expensive presents will lead to the cargo cult mentality mentioned above but something small and appropriate is, I think, a very good idea - just a usual sign of gratitude when staying at someone's house in any country, developed or undeveloped

Well expressed, EddyV. The gifts should ideally be linked to that connection made - so often people generously offer to share their food with you, invite you to their house etc. When travelling through the hinterland of Vitu Levi we took food gifts as so invariably we were invited to 'take tea' which usually led to lunch etc.

Another option that I always do after returning from a trip is to give quite a large contribution to Oxfam, CARE etc requesting it go to the country I have just spent some months in.

If you take pencils, give them to the local school. Toys are not necessarily a good idea as many children are not used to them. Balloons are light, and easy to carry, and 100 balloons can go to every child in a village - my Solomon Islands friends ask me to bring them for that reason.
Sports equipment and musical instruments are very popular, but best given to a school or youth leader.