In sprawling Mele Village, the sound of hammering echoes across rooftops.
Rebuilding continues in this community of 6000, nearly two years after Cyclone Pam wiped out about a quarter of its structures.
It’s slow work, says local resident Ati George Sokomanu, one of the community's leaders. He was also the first President of Vanuatu.
“For them to rebuild their house, they have to go and get the sand themselves, go and mix it up and that’s what they’ve been doing all over the village."
He says it wasn't the extreme winds of Cyclone Pam that caused the most damage, but what came next.
"I think the worst part of it was mud," he says.
He points out the narrow streets closest to the river.
"The next morning that place was full of mud, and even the cars couldn't get through the area."
Mr Sokomanu says flooding is common here, and not just during category five cyclones.
"It’s when we have big rains that this area floods."
“For them to rebuild their house, they have to go and get the sand themselves, go and mix it up and that’s what they’ve been doing all over the village."
Mele is one of dozens of communities highlighted as being particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels in a new data project funded by the Australian government.
The Coastal Risk Vanuatu website shows what the nation's foreshores may look like by 2100, based on rising sea level predictions.
Nathan Eaton is the principal consultant of NGIS, the company that developed the website.
He says the project helps demonstrate how rising sea levels could encroach on homes, villages and beaches.
"Vanuatu has got a number of really low-lying communities along the coast which are significantly at risk," he says.
"The sea level rise is predicted to be around 74 centimetres by the year 2100 - which doesn't really seem like a massive number, but when you actually add that to current high tide around really low-lying areas, it does make a massive impact."
Mele's locals have tackled inhospitable conditions before.
The entire village was moved off the island, now known as Hideaway, in the early 1950s, partly due to overcrowding.
The coastal community is currently mulling another move - this time, to higher ground.
Mr Sokomanu says the community has secured a large tract of land in the mountainous regions beyond Mele village.
He admits it’s an ambitious plan with many obstacles, including convincing residents it is the safest option for the future.
“You have to divide the plots, build the roads, decide where the clinic will be, decide where the church will be.
“It’s a big place, but… where do you find the money, you know? Maybe from the United Nations?”
In the meantime, Mele’s residents continue their painstaking efforts to repair the damage from a storm that hit almost two years ago.
The author travelled to Vanuatu with the assistance of International Finance Corporation.
