Hilary Clinton recently ditched her previous persona of worldly First Lady to show the working classes she could be a tough, beer loving heroine. However, a politician in Vanuatu, makes Hillary's efforts pale into insignificance.

A world away, in the South Pacific, another woman also a politician, made her entry into the male dominated arena of politics.
Viregagaru Ligo Jenny, from one of the tiny tropical islands in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu.

Jenny made headlines last year, when she ceremonially killed pigs with a club, according to custom demands, at her wedding to Joe Ligo. Dressed in a woven mat and custom grass skirt, Jenny is once again wielding the ceremonial club. She becomes only the second woman to achieve a high ranking Chieftain title.

It is rare for a woman to achieve a high ranking Chiefly title, in an ancient society that has been dominated uncontested, by the male fist of authority for centuries.

For most woman motherhood comes through the grueling task of childbirth. For Jenny, motherhood came through ceremonially clubbing to death 11 pigs, when Chief Paul Tahi declared her as the 'Mother of the Nation.' Most city dwellers would be unaware of the death defying, ear splitting noise one little pig can make, in the face of impending danger. Let alone 11, warning all other pigs for miles around. However, the ceremony is a necessity if she stands for her electorate in the upcoming elections later this year.

Jenny faces issues Hillary doesn't have to face, through custom magic. Over 100 years ago a young priest was shot and killed in her home area, causing a curse to be placed on the northern part of the island. "The curse has stopped any forward development to the area", the locals say. Late last year, Bishop James Ligo, reconciled the descendants of the murdered priest and the local people. "Now the island can finally begin to progress forward."

"I am not a woman who sits and waits to be served. I am a leader and I mean business when I say I am going to reach out to the people," said Jenny Ligo.

Jenny follows the brave example of her aunt, Grace Molisa, who was a women's rights' activist. Grace Molisa rose through the ranks to become the first woman Private Secretary to the nation's first Prime Minister after independent, Prime Minister Father Walter Lini.

In 2006, Vanuatu was nominated 'The Happiest Country on Earth'. It is hoped that Jenny will take her Chiefly role seriously when it comes to the education of the children of Vanuatu.

Hopefully this anonymous quote is not the symbol of Vanuatu in the future. 'You need to build another jail, where there is no school.' Education is not free in Vanuatu a lesser developed country, and a low cash in economy, schooling is very low on the priority list. These stats have changed little since 1998:

#Only 55.8% of kids will get to year 6;
#Only 18.2 % will go to high school;
#26% never go to school at all.

You can assist the next generation of Jenny Ligos to become educated, through a Blue Moon Opportunity.
A new program, through a Child Trust Fund, will start in January 2009. This has been privately funded, to give non-repayable high school education grants to children from the outer islands of Vanuatu.

Jenny Ligo will become involved in this scheme, so children will be given the opportunity to understand not only the ancient custom ways, but also embrace the modern beneficial ways of the 21st century.

The only lasting way to bring about real change is when that change is brought about internally, through education.