Once Upon a time there was an archipelago of islands in the Pacific Ocean where there was a perfect harmony between Nature and People, since the first People who arrived there by canoes from many other northern islands. Many centuries later there were first visitors coming from the other side of the World. Arrived in big sailing ships to the biggest island. They were so impressed by the lush green and blue waters that they call it, Espirito Santo. Due to the believes of those People, they called the archipelago as The Paradise. 

In another island called Efate, there was a beautiful Lagoon which was the nursery of the majority of the marine live around the Island. People would fish only enough to eat and all sorts of fish from all colours were abundant in the Lagoons, full of beautiful corals.

With the advance of the settlements of People around the Lagoon due to the “Development” of the Capital of that Nation, the People start abusing of the Lagoon, treat it as a “natural resource” to be used and abused, not realizing that they were blessed to live close to such a natural beauty. They overfished and polluted the Lagoon with chemicals and human waste which changed its color. But in a small village where all were coming from all the clean and beautiful islands from the archipelago, People were attentive and prepared to fight for the Lagoon. Some young with their elders decided to go to a big Palace in the City called the Conference Center and show what was happening with the disposal of plastics into the Lagoon. The little village artists sing out about the issue. Other communities support, and the government announced the ban of the Plastic Bags and bottles. But in the end, they only ban the bags, not the bottles. And the People continue to collect plastic bottles from the lagoon and its margins. Someone had to do it, because the government had no money to clean the environment….

The Young People of the little village stepped in when they realized the importance to defend the Lagoon and their future. They used the solid pollution items to beautify the little village , like used car tyres to make flowerpots. They started a movement and were invited to tell their story. They won the recognition of all the archipelagos in the Region. They went to help other communities to clean rivers. They tried to do their best to make use of waste, but there was just too much waste…

Businesses prosper importing or produced the items that the youth take out from the lagoons for free. Yes, unfortunately cleaning lagoons and the environment is not really valued as a paid job, while polluting lagoons and rivers to make profit is OK. So, the village lost their young people who had to get money to live. They left the Paradise to pick fruits and develop the economy of other countries.     

And the fish continue to die because of the pollution and John Coquiage, a fisherman, was desperate and decided to take action, even if against its own self-interest. More that 24 Chiefs from other little villages took John Coquiage advice, and the Paramount Chief announced a fishing ban, to protect the marine life. But the pollution continue… and it was out of control… 

Cynthia, a little girl, and her friends used to play and swim in the Lagoon. One day they heard that they couldn’t play anymore in the Lagoon because it was dangerous. They saw big and small fish dying in the Lagoon after a big rain from due to, they said, a climate change event called La Niña. Government couldn’t help because had no money. Cynthia and her friends were not happy with what they heard and they saw. When the Youth left to pick fruits in other countries, the children decided to take action. They wrote a letter to the Police Commissioner to request some boats to talk with the people around the Lagoon, decided to speak on behalf of the fish and children of the Lagoon and they created “The Voice of the Lagoons” to make people aware of the tragic situation.

Children’s parents and families, Chiefs, Ministers, NGOs and other communities who saw their theatre play and decided to work together to Save the Lagoons and they put together a Plan.

A Minister from France heard the story and decided to visit Cynthia’s little village and promise her to help her to create a school to make people aware of the importance of preserving the environment. The Chinese People also heard about the pollution and their government decided to help to fix the waste water plant from the Hospital.

The Government of the archipelago heard the youth and decided to take action on the effects of climate change on the rights of the People and presented an idea to all leaders of the World to stop pollution and to preserve the beautiful planet before it was too late. The World Leaders finally understood that there was an urgent need to do something NOW, before the Paradise was lost, and they all agreed, by consensus to do something unique to protect People and Nature. Something that for Cynthia and her little friends is just common sense: to preserve their playground for them and the children to come in the future.

The news spread around the World and, a Princess for a far far away country from the other side of the World, where the climate change is melting ice were the Polar Bears live, was very curious about the Paradise and decided to visit it. She heard about Cynthia’s and her friends Playground, the Lagoon and their work to make adults to realize that all, needed to work together to Save the Lagoons.

The Princess visited the Paradise in the brink of losing its Paradise status. She decided to help Cynthia and her friends by sending experts and technology to assist the government of the Paradise to clean the Lagoon. The Princess’s country had helped the most populated country in the World to clean a very very polluted river. If a Princess is able to clean Ganges River, she can help to clean any river or Lagoon …

The Princess and Cynthia became very good friends, the water became cleaner, People started planting more mangroves, sea grass, sea cucumber to help the Princess’s machines to clean the water, they plated corals so the colourful fish could return and live happily with the People again.

Thanks to the hard work and cooperation between children, youth, their parents, chiefs, friends, Ministers and Princesses from far, far away countries, and all communities who lived around the lagoon, today the Lagoon is again Blue, full of colourful fish, coral and dugongs. Many People come from around the world to swim in the lagoons which became the center of the City, rather its backyard where people use to throw all waste.  

Cynthia and her friends are now parents and their children can again swim and play with the beautiful colorful fish in the Erakor Lagoons.

This story was written in 24 April 2033