For Ashley Vire, returning to the land has become more than a way of life. It is an opportunity to change direction, support his family and show other young people what they can achieve through agriculture.

Originally from Ambae, Ashley previously spent much of his time around the streets of Port Vila with friends after completing his schooling.

But a change in perspective, together with encouragement from his parents, led him back to Santo, where he is now putting his time and energy into gardening.

Today, the young father is using social media to document his progress, sharing videos of his crops and simple planting methods that he hopes will inspire others to follow the same path.

A change in direction

Ashley, who is popularly known as Junior on Facebook, said he spent several years studying in Santo before continuing his education in Port Vila for another three to four years.

After finishing school, he found himself spending much of his time walking around with friends rather than doing something productive.

He eventually recognised that he could use his time differently by returning to the land.

His father, Solomon Vire, said he encouraged Ashley to take up gardening instead of spending his days hanging around with other young people.

“Now you have finished school and are at home, it is good for you to do gardening instead of going around hanging out with young people and getting involved in things in the community that are not right.”

He reminded his son that opportunities also exist on the land, and that people do not necessarily need to work in an office to earn money.

With his parents’ support, Ashley returned to Santo and began establishing small gardens while learning and developing his skills through experience.

Turning gardening into an online inspiration

Ashley now lives in the Canal Fanafo area with his parents, wife and young son.

He said his decision to share videos of his gardening activities on Facebook was initially not about becoming popular or gaining attention. Instead, he wanted to share what he was learning with people who might not know how to plant or grow their own food.

“I share these videos on social media for people who do not know how to plant, so I can share and help others who are watching.”

After his first gardening post received strong engagement and positive feedback, Ashley decided to make his page public and continue documenting his progress.

He began posting videos showing what he planted, how he planted it and the results after a few days or weeks of growth.

The encouragement from viewers motivated him to keep sharing.

Some people also reminded him that he was still young and had plenty of time to pursue gardening.

Ashley said the response showed him that even a small garden could encourage someone else to try planting.

Making gardening possible for everyone

One of the things Ashley wants to demonstrate is that gardening does not always require large areas of land or expensive equipment.

Through his videos, he shares simple methods that people, particularly those living in urban areas, can use to grow vegetables.

These include planting in bags and using available spaces around the home to produce food.

He believes these methods can help families reduce the amount they spend buying vegetables from shops, especially as the cost of food continues to rise.

Although he did not study agriculture formally, Ashley said gardening is something that has been passed down through his family.

His grandfather was involved in agriculture in Ambae, and his father continued the practice. His two brothers also studied agriculture, giving him opportunities to learn from their knowledge and experience.

Ashley said he continues to learn through his own gardening activities, although limited access to equipment sometimes makes the work slower.

His current gardens include lettuce, taro, round cabbage, tomatoes, kumala and peanuts.

He is also looking beyond growing food for household consumption, with plans to develop his gardens into a source of income.

Ashley said he has already sold one harvest of kumala and received further requests for orders, which he hopes to meet with his next harvest.

A message to young people

For Ashley, the message behind his videos goes beyond gardening. He wants young people to recognise that how they spend their time today can influence their future.

He said spending too much time walking around the streets without doing anything productive can become a wasted opportunity, particularly when they could be using that time to grow food or develop something that benefits their families.

He encouraged young people not to be discouraged by labels or negative comments from others, but to focus on doing something worthwhile.

“Try spending one day in the garden and planting just one thing instead of doing nothing.”

Ashley believes that even starting with a small garden can make a difference over time, providing food for the household and potentially creating opportunities to earn money.

He also hopes more young people will learn simple gardening methods and recognise that they do not need to wait for formal employment or an office job before they can become productive.

As he continues sharing his progress online, Ashley hopes his journey will encourage others to return to the land and discover what they can achieve through agriculture.

For him, the goal is not simply to show people what he can grow, but to demonstrate that one young person’s decision to change direction can also inspire another to do the same.