A support network for the families of seasonal workers in Vanuatu is in high demand as more families find themselves without a parent for a big chunk of the year.
Ni-Vanuatu workers make up the biggest slice of participants in New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme - about 4000 are in the country this season.
Peter Bumseng, who's in his 11th season in New Zealand under the scheme, set up the Strengthening Seasonal Worker Family Programme in Vanuatu with his wife five years ago.
He told Bridget Tunnicliffe life can be difficult for families back home when one parent, which is usually the father, is away for months at a time.
A man from Vanuatu works in a Hawke's Bay orchard under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
